Mentoring Initiative Overview

The University of Kansas School of Medicine Mentoring Initiative (pdf) is dedicated to enhance and support the environment which has created a place where everyone wants to come to learn, to teach, to conduct research and to receive his or her health care.  Members of the faculty will be strengthening through the leadership of a strong mentoring program which is based on the idea that junior faculty need both specific/content-oriented mentoring (e.g., specialty-specific career information) and content expertise (e.g., teaching skills, or professional writing skills used in grant writing, publications and manuscripts), as well as overall career advice relevant to advancing as a medical school faculty member.  A career mentor will be assigned to serve primarily in the second (general career) capacity, but may ask others to serve as project mentors in the first (content and specific) capacity. Focus of the program is on four critical skills:

1. Managing a productive academic career in medicine:
   1. In support of your own academic career needs and desires, while
   2. In support of the institutions missions and goals.
2. Understanding the formal (and informal/implicit) values, rules and operating procedures in academic medicine.
   1. Understanding criteria for advancement in your track, and
   2. Understanding how the merit and promotion system works
3. Developing and sustaining a network of professional colleagues.
4. Know where to go for advice, help and training.

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