Mentors, Mentoring and Research

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Mentors, Mentoring and Research
Graeme N. Smith MD, PhD, FRCSC Professor Division
of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department of
Obstetrics Gynecology, Queens Perinatal
Research Unit (QPRU)
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Can you identify someone who has had a positive
and enduring impact on your personal or
professional life?
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John Patrick 1945-1990
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Where would I be if I hadnt met J.P.?

• Internal or Emergency Medicine
• ? Community (Mountaineering Expeditions)
• ?? Research

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How did J.P. become my mentor?

• I did a 3rd yr Physiology research project with
  him
• Delayed application to Medical School
• Did 4th year Honours BSc in Physiology (Fetal)
• Did a combined MD/PhD in his lab
• Specialized in Obstetrics Gynecology
• Sub-specialized in Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• QPRU
• and Lindsay Patrick, Johns youngest daughter, is
  one of my PhD students!

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What made J.P. a good Mentor?

• He inspired those around him
• Made time to talk
• Was interested in what I had to say
• Provided direction and support
• He didnt place himself above anyone else
• He was always approachable

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Qualities of a Good Mentor

• Committed to the role of mentoring
• Accepting of the trainee/new recruit
• Skilled in providing instructional support
• Effective in different interpersonal contexts
• A model of a continuous learner
• Communicates hope and optimism

James B. Rowley
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Qualities of a Good Mentor1. Committed to the
Role of Mentoring

• Highly committed to helping find success and
  gratification
• Show up for, and stay on the job
• Persistence is as important
• Resolute belief that mentors are capable of
  making a significant and positive impact on the
  life of another
• Can be a challenging endeavour requiring
  significant investments of time and energy

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Qualities of a Good Mentor1. Committed to the
Role of Mentoring

• How to ensure mentors possess the commitment to
  delivering effective support?
• Formal mentor training
• Specific descriptions of the roles and
  responsibilities of mentors
• Supported (?financial, time, PD) valued
  important

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Qualities of a Good Mentor2. Accepting of the
trainee/new recruit

• Empathy
• Accepting without making judgements
• Accept trainee/new recruit as a developing
  person/professional

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Qualities of a Good Mentor2. Accepting of the
trainee/new recruit

• How to encourage mentors to be more accepting?
• Training programs
• Reflect on the qualities of effective helpers
• Helping to understand the problems/concerns of
  trainees/new recruits
• Thoughtfully revisit ones own first years

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Qualities of a Good Mentor3. Skilled at
providing instructional support

• Willing to train/teach to improve
  performance/skill level
• Allow observation in clinic, OR, meetings,
  teaching sessions, etc.
• Observe trainee/new recruit in clinic, OR,
  meetings, teaching sessions, etc. to provide
  feedback

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Qualities of a Good Mentor4. Effective in
different interpersonal contexts

• All mentees are not created equal (nor are all
  mentors)
• Each mentoring relationship occurs in a unique,
  interpersonal context
• Trainees can display widely different attitudes
  toward offered help
• Good mentors adjust their mentoring communication
  to meet the needs of the individual mentee

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Qualities of a Good Mentor4. Effective in
different interpersonal contexts

• How can mentors learn to adjust their mentoring
  behaviours?
• Reflect on leadership, communication or
  supervisory styles

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Qualities of a Good Mentor5. A model of a
continuous learner

• Good mentors are transparent about their own
  search for improvement
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Openness to learn from colleagues (including
  mentees)
• Participate in and attend CME
• Read and write articles in professional journals
• Share new knowledge and perplexing
  questions/cases with colleagues (mentees)

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Qualities of a Good Mentor5. A model of a
continuous learner

• How to ensure mentors continue own professional
  growth and development?
• Royal College mandates it
• ? Ongoing formal mentor training
• Recognition/reward by Department, Society or
  Association of the need for ongoing development

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Qualities of a Good Mentor6. Communicates hope
and optimism

• Ability to communicate that a person is capable
  of transcending present challenges and of
  accomplishing great things
• Inspires
• Share own struggles/frustrations and how they
  were overcome

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Qualities of a Good Mentor6. Communicates hope
and optimism

• How to ensure trainees are supported by mentors
  capable of communicating hope and optimism?
• Avoid those that have lost a positive outlook
• If Departments value mentoring and take it
  seriously, mentoring will attract caring and
  committed individuals

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• We are all mentors in one form or another in
  academic centres.
• Clinical
• Research
• life

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• the question is not who should be a mentor, but
  how can I become a mentor?
• Desire to be a mentor or to be mentored
• Successful relationship requires committed effort
  from the student and mentor
• Department/Division Chairs need to recognize
  importance of mentorship
• Create time and opportunity for their faculty to
  be mentors

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Mentoring in Research

• Medical Students
• Summer research projects
• Critical enquiry electives
• Resident research projects
• Graduate students (supervisor, co-supervisor,
  committee)
• Fellow research projects
• New Attending Staff

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Mentoring in Research

• Career-Enhancing Factors (most important)
• Mentor (40)
• Fellowship (15)
• University (5)
• Seed Money (5)
• Grants (5)
• Resources (7)
• Research Time (13)
• No. of publications (7)
• Bridge Funding (3)

Leppert et al. J Soc Gynecol Investig 20029372-8
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Mentoring in Research

• What advice would you give to an Obstetrician
  Gynaecologist interested in a research career?
• GET A MENTOR

Leppert et al. J Soc Gynecol Investig 20029372-8
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Mentoring in Research

• How do you choose a mentor?
• See what happened to previous mentees
• Talk to previous mentees
• interview the prospective mentor

Leppert et al. J Soc Gynecol Investig 20029372-8
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Mentoring in Research

• Medical Students
• Liaison person (contact _at_ Deans office,
  undergrad education office, Departmental website,
  Departmental open house)
• Meet with individual students
• Discuss research in the Department
• Goals of doing a research project
• Education about research design, etc.
• Clinical exposure
• Exposure to members of Dept and different
  subspecialties

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Mentoring in Research

• Medical Students
• Expectations
• Completion of project
• Exposure to clinic/OR/LD/US/etc.
• Presentation at annual Dept. research day

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Why do Research in Residency?

• Learn applied techniques of critical appraisal
• Journal club
• APOG Introduction to Research course
• Research Project
• See limitations of research/publications
• Study design
• Interpretation of results
• Implementation of results into practice
• See why it takes so long from bench-to-bedside

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Why do Research in Residency?

• Inspire and enable residents to pursue academic
  careers
• Publications, grants, abstracts, presentations
• Competitive fellowship applications

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Mentoring in Research

• Residents Research
• Beware of getting involved in studies where
• the data is already collected, you just have to
  write it up
• -you dont learn the process of study design,
  whats involved with subject recruitment/data
  collection, analysis..
• -if it really just had to be written up, it
  probably would have been a long time ago.

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Mentoring in Research
Residents (mentees) are not there to do
your research, theyre there to enhance your
research/research programme
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Mentoring in Research

• How to develop a research project (working with a
  mentor) (Dr. S. Ferguson, U. of Toronto)
• Choose a research area
• Develop a research question/hypothesis
• Review literature/searches
• Write review/hypothesis manuscript
• Med Hypothesis 20015685-90
• PSI grant
• Study
• Publication
• Obstet Gynecol

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Mentoring in Research

• How to develop a research project (working with a
  mentor) (Dr. L. Gaudet, Queens U.)
• Choose a research area
• Summer Research Project (Medical Student)
• Research question/hypothesis
• Review literature/searches
• Write review/hypothesis manuscript
• Obstet Gynecol Survey
• Publication (Am J Obstet Gynecol)
• Resident Research Project
• PSI grant
• STIRRHS/APOG Bursary
• Study
• Publication

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Never think research in residency wont amount to
anything.
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Suggestions for Residents

• Seek out a mentor
• Dont be afraid to get involved
• Sometimes the simplest questions are the most
  interesting
• If you have an idea, WRITE IT DOWN
• Be realistic
• Can it be completed during residency?
• Is it publishable?

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Suggestions for Attending Staff (Mentors)

• Opportunity
• Supervise AND learn
• Rewarding
• Support
• Time
• Be Realistic (Residents are not here to do
  your research)

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Suggestions for New Researchers

• Dont be too quick to be independent
• Find a mentor
• need for 80-100 time and effort devoted to
  research to succeed, especially in the early
  years of a research career

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Suggestions for Department Chairs

• Create an environment where research can flourish
• Protected time, mentoring, funding
• when this is done the physician-scientist is
  capable of bringing money and prestige to the
  department (as a whole)

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Future success of those interested in research
careers depends on the ability of specialty
leaders to address the question of

• Time devoted to research effort
• The appropriate mentors to assist the scholars in
  their endeavours

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Issues to be addressed

• How to create an understanding and appreciation
  of the necessity of true protected research time
  for faculty?
• How can streaming benefit those who wish to
  embark on a research career?
• How can young men/women be attracted to a career
  in research?
• Will the development and support of research
  careers in ObsGyn be a way to attract medical
  students to the specialty?

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Thank you to the Mentors who have affected my
career path and my research

• Mark Walker

• John Patrick
• James Brien
• William Fraser
• Peter Mitchell

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Thank you to the Mentees who I have been
fortunate to work with and make my career most
rewarding

• Medical Students
• Residents
• Undergraduate Students
• Graduate Students