Implementation of a Faculty Mentorship Skill Development Curriculum in Radiation Oncology
Lisa A. McGee, Heather A. Billings, Brady S. LaughlinPurpose
To implement and evaluate a faculty mentorship skill development curriculum within a radiation oncology department at a single academic medical center.
Methods
A three-part faculty development curriculum consisting of three 45-minute facilitated workshops was implemented for physician faculty mentors. The curriculum was designed to support mentors in navigating mentoring relationships, aligning expectations, and fostering mentee independence. Content was informed by evidence-based mentorship frameworks and adult learning principles, including models developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, social cognitive theory, and principles of psychological safety and self-efficacy. Faculty participants representing a range of academic ranks and mentoring experience levels participated voluntarily. Pre- and post-curriculum self-assessment surveys evaluated participant understanding and implementation of mentorship skills, as well as perceptions of common mentorship challenges, using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze responses.
Results
Curriculum content progressed from foundational mentorship concepts, including mentor roles, mentoring networks, and stages of mentoring relationships, to communication strategies, expectation alignment, and promotion of mentee independence. Educational methods included brief didactic instruction, case-based discussion, guided reflection, and peer-to-peer learning. Survey data demonstrated improvement in participant self-assessment scores across all evaluated mentorship domains, including mentoring across differences, supporting mentee goal achievement, confidence as a mentor, providing constructive feedback, awareness of mentorship challenges, setting clear expectations, and understanding core mentorship competencies. Participants also reported reduced perceived challenges related to mentorship, with the largest improvements observed in setting boundaries, mentoring across differences, and addressing sensitive topics.
Conclusions
This faculty mentorship development curriculum was feasible to implement and demonstrated favorable early improvements in self-reported mentorship knowledge, confidence, and perceived ability to navigate common mentorship challenges. Further longitudinal evaluation is needed to assess sustained implementation of mentorship skills and longer-term impact on mentoring relationships.