Delivering What We PROMISED: Outcomes of a Coaching and Leadership Fellowship for Mentors of Underrepresented Mentees

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 9; p. 4793
• Main Authors: Norman, Marie K, Mayowski, Colleen A, Wendell, Steven K, Forlenza, Michael J, Proulx, Chelsea N, Rubio, Doris M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30-04-2021; MDPI
• Subjects: 21st century; Adaptability; Authoring; Biomedical research; Career development planning; Careers; Coaching; Curricula; Feedback; Leadership; Mentors; Mindfulness; Scholarships & fellowships; Skills; Workforce; United States > US; Colorado; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; inclusion; diversity; mentoring; career coaching; equity
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094793

Research demonstrates that mentorship can significantly improve career success, career satisfaction, and persistence for underrepresented (UR) minority faculty. However, many UR faculty members do not receive the mentorship they need, nor do mentors always possess the range of skills required to guide UR mentees through the unique challenges they face. We developed a 1-year fellowship training program, PROMISED, designed to help mentors promote career self-authorship and leadership among their UR mentees. PROMISED fellows participated in a two-day in-person training to develop career coaching skills, followed by a series of one-month leadership training/mentoring modules. We assessed mentors' skills at the start and completion of the program. We found that PROMISED fellows reported an increase in perceived skill level in nearly every training topic, with "addressing diversity" demonstrating the most significant change. These results provide evidence that career coaching and leadership training offer an effective supplement to traditional mentor training and that mentors can incorporate these skills effectively into their mentoring practice. Taken together, we believe our data suggest that a program designed to train mentors in coaching and leadership can enhance career satisfaction, persistence, and retention of their UR mentees.