TUDIES HAVE REVEALED GENDER differences in physicians' pay, 1-8 but experts continue to debate the magnitude and cause of these differences. Some evidence suggests that disparities in pay are explained by specialization, work hours, and productivity, 9 leading some to believe that they are justifiable outcomes of different choices made by men and women. Debate persists in part because most studies of physicians' pay have included relatively heterogeneous groups, are now dated, or are limited by lack of information on key factors such as specialty 10 or family characteristics. 11 Given the lack of conclusive evidence to answer whether male and female physicians who do similar work are paid differently in the present day, we sought to determine whether there were gender differences in salary of a relatively homogeneous sample: physicians who were granted prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) K08 and K23 career development awards in 2000-2003 and who continued to work at academic institutions. We focused on this select population to minimize variability in aptitude or motivation as well as in seniority and content of work activities. Consequently, we expected to find little if any gender difference in salary and that any differences observed would be explained by specialty, productivity, or other measured factors. METHODS Data Collection We identified all 1853 recipients of new K08 and K23 awards in 2000 through 2003 using the CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) database. 12 After approval by the Author Affiliations: Departments of Radiation Oncology (Dr Jagsi and Mss Sambuco and DeCastro), Psychology (Dr Stewart), and Women's Studies (Dr Stewart),

Purpose Career development award programs often require formal establishment of mentoring relationships. The authors sought to gain a nuanced understanding of mentoring from the perspective of a diverse national sample of faculty clinician-researchers who were all members of formal mentoring relationships. Method Between February 2010 and August 2011, the authors conducted semi-structured, in-depth telephone interviews with 100 former recipients of National Institutes of Health mentored career development awards and 28 of their mentors. Purposive sampling ensured a diverse range of viewpoints. Multiple analysts thematically coded verbatim transcripts using qualitative data analysis software. Results Three relevant themes emerged: (1) the numerous roles and behaviors associated with mentoring in academic medicine, (2) the improbability of finding a single person who can fulfill the diverse mentoring needs of another individual, and (3) the importance and composition of mentor networks. Many respondents described the need to cultivate more than one mentor. Several participants discussed the utilization of peer mentors, citing benefits such as pooled resources and mutual learning. Female participants generally acknowledged the importance of having at least one female mentor. Some observed that their portfolio of mentors needed to evolve in order to remain effective. Conclusions Those who seek to promote the careers of faculty in academic medicine should focus upon developing mentoring networks, rather than hierarchical mentoring dyads. The members of each faculty member's mentoring team or network should reflect the protégé's individual needs and preferences, with special attention towards ensuring diversity in terms of area of expertise, academic rank, and gender.