Mentoring of Dental and Dental Hygiene Faculty: A Case Study

Abstract

Given the predicted shortages of dental faculty in the United States, it is important to retain faculty members. Mentoring could play a crucial role in this context. The objectives of this case study were to explore how a six-year mentoring program in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry changed faculty members' perceptions of support from colleagues and their mentoring expectations. In addition, we sought to determine how junior versus senior faculty members and mentors versus mentees differed in their perceptions of faculty roles, their self-perceived competence, and their awareness of departmental expectations at the end of the program. Data were collected with self-administered surveys from twenty-ive of the thirty-six faculty members in this department in 2002 (response rate: 69 percent) and from thirty-seven of the ifty-four faculty members in 2008 (response rate: 69 percent). The results showed that the perceptions of support from colleagues improved signiicantly over the six-year period. During the same time period, mentoring expectations increased. In 2008, junior faculty members as compared to senior faculty members remained less positive about their role as faculty members, felt less well prepared for their professional life, and were less aware of departmental expectations. In conclusion, a departmental mentoring program resulted in improved support from colleagues and increased expectations concerning mentoring experiences. However, future targeted interventions are needed to address the identiied differences between junior and senior faculty members. Recommendations for faculty mentoring efforts are discussed.

Process Evaluation for Improving K12 Program Effectiveness: Case Study of a National Institutes of Health Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Research Career Development Program

“…[9][10][11] Programs also report using mixed, quantitative, and qualitative methods to assess and better understand the bidirectionality of mentoring relationships as well as secondary effects of mentoring on faculty job satisfaction, perceptions of organizational commitment to scholars, and self-efficacy and confidence in research skills. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] The importance of a program evaluation is emphasized in a 2012 review of BIRCWH research career development programs, which found that 28 of 29 programs incorporated a structured evaluation of mentoring and training components. 15 The authors emphasized evaluation as a significant strength of the national program.…”

Factors Affecting Part‐Time Dental Hygiene Faculty Members’ Intent to Stay in Education

“…Along with the increase in dental hygiene programs comes an increased need for qualified dental hygiene educators. There is a continuing need for health professions educators as documented in the fields of nursing, dentistry, and allied health 2‐4 . Due to this need, educational institutions have come to increasingly rely on part‐time faculty members, also referred to as adjunct or contingent faculty 1,5‐9 .…”

“…Dental hygiene programs have not been immune to these shortages and have also increased their part‐time faculty members 1 . In spite of the need to recruit and retain dental hygiene educators, 1‐3 there is a distinct lack of research regarding part‐time or adjunct dental hygiene faculty. Do they intend to stay in education, and, if they do not, what factors might influence retention?…”

Mentorship availability and needs for junior faculty members at the United States and Australian dental schools

“…[5][6][7][8] Mentorship can be defined in many ways in various contexts, all of which encompass a synergistic relationship between a mentor with accumulated expertise and a mentee with novice-like inexperience, who engage in the sharing of knowledge and personal experiences to facilitate career development and guidance towards a path of promotion, fulfilment and overall success. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Whether formal or informal, mentorship is considered fundamental in an academic career and has both personal and professional effects. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] In a study by Mylona et al 3 , faculty with mentors were surveyed and reported greater workplace engagement, greater satisfaction with pace of professional advancement, and more positive perceptions of their relationships with colleagues and overall roles within the institution compared to faculty without mentors.…”