Mentoring Matters

Pennsylvania Medical Society

 

Signing up to be a mentor or mentee is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Complete an online profile
2. Return the mentoring agreement.
3. View PAMED’s training video.

Mentoring Matters! Mentors serve as role models, provide a safe haven to work through challenges or evaluate new opportunities, and strive to help mentees grow personally and professionally. Mentoring can be a pathway to engage colleagues, cultivate future physician leaders, or shape effective health care teams.  Mentees benefit from the shared knowledge and experiences of others who have been in similar situations or faced comparable choices.  Mentors benefit as well through enhanced performance and communication skills.

Need a mentor?

We’ll get started on finding solutions to your challenges!

Want to help a mentee?

We’ll work to match you with a mentee who could benefit from your knowledge and experience.

Q. What is PAMED’s Match-a-Member program? Q. What is PAMED’s Match-a-Member program?

A. This volunteer program is designed to match physician mentees and physician mentors within common regions, specialties, or practice settings, based on the mentee’s needs and interests and the mentor’s abilities and experiences.

Q. Am I locked into being a mentor/mentee for a specific or extended period of time? Q. Am I locked into being a mentor/mentee for a specific or extended period of time?

A. While we hope that our mentors/mentees will connect and establish lasting relationships, there is no long-term relationship required or pre-determined time commitment established.

Q. What if the relationship isn’t working for me? Q. What if the relationship isn’t working for me?

A. Mentor/mentee relationships sometimes don’t go as planned for any number of reasons. Despite the best of intentions, personalities might not mesh well, conflicting schedules present barriers, or priorities change. If the relationship is not valuable or moving forward, you should contact PAMED to address your concerns and together we’ll work to identify other opportunities.

Q. What’s expected of me? Q. What’s expected of me?

A. To forge a rewarding mentor relationship, being proactive is key!  If you are a mentee, initiate meeting requests, provide updates to your mentor, and get to know him/her so you can ask questions related to your mentor’s experience.

If you are a mentor, let your mentee know that you are available, checking in periodically to inquire about progress, or to direct them to a resource that might be helpful.  If they are willing to share, ask about your mentee’s hopes and dreams, professional and personal, because in medicine career definitely affects family.

Finally, be clear about the other person’s expectations – what the mentee needs and what the mentor can realistically provide.

Q. Do we have to connect in person? Q. Do we have to connect in person?

A. There is no requirement to meet in person. If both parties want to and are comfortable doing so, face-to-face interactions could be an option. Likewise, mentors/mentees could connect via telephone, email, handwritten correspondence, or online technology. The mentor and mentee will determine what communication channels will work best for the relationship.

Q. Is there a cost to enroll? Q. Is there a cost to enroll?

A. No, this program is free to PAMED members.

Q. Are mentors compensated? Q. Are mentors compensated?

A. No, as mentioned above, this is a volunteer program.

Q. How do I get started? Q. How do I get started?

A. Signing up to be a mentor or mentee is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Complete an online profile questionnaire to tell us about your experience or needs.
2. Sign and return the mentoring agreement.
3. View PAMED’s 1-hour mentor/mentee training video.

 

Learn more about mentoring roles and responsibilities, and how mentoring differs from coaching or supervising, by watching our educational video conducted by William “Marty” Martin, PsyD, MPH, a national subject matter expert from the American Association for Physician Leadership (formerly ACPE). 

Be a “New Member Mentor.” Want to get involved but have limited time right now? Could you give an hour a month to connecting with other PAMED members in your county, region, or specialty? Sign up to be 90-day mentor to new members, a turn-key mail campaign to welcome new members and connect them with resources they need to make their membership experience more valuable and relevant.

If you have questions about PAMED’s Match-a-Member Mentoring Program or want more details on how you can make a difference, contact Leslie Howell at lhowell@pamedsoc.org or (717) 909-2624.