| Faculty Mentoring of Fellows |
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Each fellow in the Fellowship has a faculty mentor whose responsibility is
to help guide the fellow through the program, help the fellow address issues
and problems, and assist the fellow in career planning and obtaining a job following
graduation from the program.
Functions of the Mentor
- Assist the fellow in establishing educational goals for the Fellowship
and measurable endpoints
- Assist the fellow in selecting one or more of the Fellowship tracks and
concentrations
- Assist the fellow in selecting research methods courses from the SPH curriculum
and outside sources
- Assist the fellow in selecting research areas and preceptors
- Assist the fellow in selecting supervised teaching (practicum) experiences
- Monitor the progress of the fellow in all aspects of the program
- Assist the fellow in solving issues that arise during the Fellowship
- Provide career guidance to the trainee
- Assist the fellow in finding an appropriate job after graduation
We have found that the transition to the less structured fellowship from the highly
controlled residency is disorienting for some fellows. In response to the results
of past evaluations of the program, we instituted a series of structured meetings
for first-year fellows to bridge the gap between the start of fellowship and identification
of a formal mentor. These meetings begin the first week of the program.
During the first two months of the fellowship, while engaged half time in didactic
study, fellows meet with each member of the Executive Committee and many of the
other faculty. By the end of this process, the fellow, in conjunction with the
Program Directors, selects an overall mentor for the program.
Early on in the Fellowship, the fellow and mentor will discuss the fellow's career
objectives and educational goals in the program. They will review each part of
the curriculum and make decisions regarding such matters as course pursuit of
a research area, topic, and preceptor. After several months in the program, the
mentor-fellow meetings will be devoted to monitoring progress in the program,
identifying problems, and helping the fellow find solutions.
Mentoring relationships are highly valued in the Fellowship. Fellows can and do
typically establish close relationships with additional faculty that provide mentoring
as well. Although occurring rarely, a fellow may formally change his or her mentor
if the need arises.
At the beginning of the second year of the program, the mentor will work with
the fellow to help him/her look for a job following graduation. This includes
discussion of job types, how to locate job prospects, how to prepare a letter
of introduction and a resume, how to interview for a job, and how to negotiate
the position.
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