Utilizing Mentoring for Personal, Professional, and Career Development: The role mentorship can play in advancing your career in the United States Public Health Service (UPHS), Commissioned Corps. Session 1 of 3 BASPAG Career & Professional Development Series Presented & Prepared by: CDR Malaysia Gresham, BCD, LICSW, USPHS & CDR Aimee Williams, BCD, LCSW-C, USPHS

What is Mentorship? The Oxford dictionary defines mentorship as “the guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person in a company or educational institution.”

Why is Mentorship Important? 1. Often, you think you know more, than you really do! 2. You can spare yourself major mistakes, by learning from your mentors mistakes! 3. You can build your network faster! 4. You have career goals that are ambitious and with the guidance and support of a mentor, you can develop a short and long term plan. 5. Who better to replace your mentor as they move on - than the one in which they mentor? 6. Although the truth can hurt, you have someone you trust and respect that will be honest with you. 7. In the world of the Commissioned Corps, being complacent could potentially impact your ability to promote! Your mentor can remind you of this. 8. Your mentor is there during the good and bad times! But knows, the whole picture and can remind you how far you have come. 9. Without one, your career may hit a ceiling! 10. You will learn how to mentor!

Characteristics of Effective Mentors & Mentees… Based on research in the field of mentoring, mentees identified that mentors should be: Altruistic, honest, trustworthy, and active listeners. Have previous mentorship & a wealth of professional experience. Be accessible and able to identify and support the development of potential strengths and skills in their mentees Mentee: Based on the same research, mentors identified that for mentees to gain the most and have the a positive experience they should be: Open to feedback and be active listeners. Respectful of their mentor’s input and time. Responsible! Which means paying attention to time lines, and taking responsibility for “driving the Relationship.

Role of a Mentor What role do you envision a mentor would play in your life? The following are roles in which one or several mentors can assist: Career guidance – participants meant that effective mentors act as guides rather than as supervisors who direct their mentees’ activities. Emotional support – guide the mentee in making decisions surrounding how toe stablish a health work/life balance. Career planning – assist the mentee in establish short and long-term goals, and keeping them on track to reaching there goals. Career navigation – assist mentees with navigating positions, agencies, and institutions that can be confusing Ex: USA Jobs.

Benefits of Mentorship In academic medicine, mentorship has been positively associated with promotion, grant funding, job satisfaction, time spent on research, and publication success – How does this translate to your role in the Commissioned Corps? Mentoring not only provides benefits to the mentee, but is an often forgotten retention tool! If you haven’t signed up to participate in the HSO Mentoring Program (Mentee or Mentor), please go to the following site: http://usphs-hso.org/?q=pac/sub/mentoring/program For training and resources on mentoring, please go to the following site: http://www.usphs-hso.org/?q=pac/sub/mentoring/training

References: Health Services Officer Category (15 July, 2015). Mentoring. Retrieved from http://www.usphs-hso.org/?q=pac/sub/mentoring Oxford Dictionaries (07 July, 2015). Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com /us/definition/american_english/mentorship Reid, B. M., Misky, G., Harrison, R., Sharpe, B., Auerbach, A., & Glasheen, J.J. (2011). Mentorship, productivity, and promotion among academic hospitalists. Journal of Generalist Intern Medicine, 27(23). Straus, S. E., Johnson, M. O., Marquez, C., & Feldman, M. D. (2013). Characteristics of successful and failed mentoring relationships: A qualitative study across two academic health centers. Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 88(1), 82–89. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e31827647a0