Mentoring at the University of Pennsylvania: results of a faculty survey.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Research suggests mentoring is related to career satisfaction and success. Most studies have focused on junior faculty.

OBJECTIVE:
To explore multiple aspects of mentoring at an academic medical center in relation to faculty rank, track, and gender.

DESIGN:
Cross-sectional mail survey in mid-2003.

PARTICIPANTS:
Faculty members, 1,432, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

MEASUREMENTS:
Self-administered survey developed from existing instruments and stakeholders.

RESULTS:
Response rate was 73% (n = 1,046). Most (92%) assistant and half (48%) of associate professors had a mentor. Assistant professors in the tenure track were most likely to have a mentor (98%). At both ranks, the faculty was given more types of advice than types of opportunities. Satisfaction with mentoring was correlated with the number of types of mentoring received (r = .48 and .53, P < .0001), job satisfaction (r = .44 and .31, P < .0001), meeting frequency (r = .53 and .61, P < .0001), and expectation of leaving the University within 5 years (Spearman r = -.19 and -.18, P < .0001), at the assistant and associate rank, respectively. Significant predictors of higher overall job satisfaction were associate rank [Odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, CI = 1.29-3.21], the 10-point mentoring satisfaction rating (OR = 1.27, CI = 1.17-1.35), and number of mentors (OR = 1.60, CI = 1.20-2.07).

CONCLUSIONS:
Having a mentor, or preferably, multiple mentors is strongly related to satisfaction with mentoring and overall job satisfaction. Surprisingly, few differences were related to gender. Mentoring of clinician-educators, research track faculty, and senior faculty, and the use of multiple mentors require specific attention of academic leadership and further study.

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Author information

Author/s: Wasserstein, Alan G (AG); Quistberg, D Alex (DA); Shea, Judy A (JA);

Affiliation: Office of Faculty Affairs, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. alanw(-atsign-)mail.med.upenn.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of general internal medicine : official journal of the Society for Research and Education in Primary Care Internal Medicine (J Gen Intern Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 22 (issue 2) : pp 210-4

Dates: Created 2007/03/14; Completed 2007/06/18; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17356988, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Academic Medical Centers - methods; trends
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data Collection - methods; trends
Faculty, Medical
Female
Humans

Humans
Male
Mentors
Pennsylvania
Schools, Medical - trends
Universities - trends

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