Navigating Effective Mentorship Strategies: Insights from Medical Faculty Community of Practice

Abstract

Mentors often struggle to understand their mentees' needs and to determine effective support strategies that impact the mentor-mentee relationship. This is particularly common among medical faculty, who lack formal training and opportunities to discuss and share. In light of the current situation, we organized an open seminar titled “Empowering Medical Faculty as Mentors” on January 6, 2024, followed by a full-day workshop on February 3, 2024, at Dow University of Health Sciences. This research article aims to involve the medical faculty community of practice to discuss the challenges encountered and coming up with effective strategies in the realm of mentorship. Methods It was an exploratory case study. The event was attended by fifty-one faculty members from 18 medical and dental colleges in Karachi, Pakistan. They were selected based on their teaching experience, seniority, and age. The views and experiences of the participants were documented during discussions and validated through a thorough literature review. The collected data was analysed and coded into themes and subthemes, ultimately identifying strategies for effective mentor-mentee relationships. Results Twelve key strategies for effective mentor-mentee relationship were generated. They were identified as: socialised niceness; transformative capability; adapt a leadership style; psychological resources; manage high assumptions; self-assessment; build a positive connection; avoid pushing personal agenda; reward mentors; efficient time management; recognise gender as a social construct, and to build trust. These should be a valuable resource for new mentors and medical faculty members to be mindful of and consider while involved in the mentoring relationship. Conclusion Both mentor and mentee well-being have received more attention in recent years and is increasingly prioritized in higher education. The identified strategies establish a foundation for future research in health professions education and guidance for educators to be mindful of creating supportive professional relationships that benefit both mentor and mentee.