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. 2025 Aug 7;15:44. [Version 1] doi: 10.12688/mep.21001.1

Virtual Team-Based Mentorship: Fostering Knowledge Acquisition, Career Advancement, and Connectedness

Sarah M Harendt 1,2,a, Hannah Q Karp 2, Mariah J Rudd 1,2, Paul R Skolnik 1,2, Rebecca R Pauly 1,2
PMCID: PMC12759267  PMID: 41488412

Abstract

Background

Mentoring for clinical faculty in academic health centers offers numerous benefits; however, structured virtual mentoring remains understudied in this context. The Mentorship Matters pilot program was established to better understand whether providing structured curricula in a virtual format can result in positive outcomes for clinical faculty.

Methods

Mentorship Matters offered tailored, virtual mentoring for Department of Medicine faculty, covering topics such as career advancement, academic promotion, and work-life integration, through monthly virtual meetings. Participants underwent pre-, mid-, and post-engagement surveys, including the Leadership in Academic Medicine Program Survey and internal questions tailored by the Mentorship Matters team after reviewing mentorship literature for clinical faculty 21,24.

Results

Among 23 mentees and 8 mentors, pre-engagement data showed 25% of mentees reported no previous mentoring 23 . Sixty-three percent felt inadequately supported and expressed a need for career guidance 23 . Fifty-seven percent of mentors lacked formal mentoring and 86% felt under-supported 23 . Results from the mid-point survey demonstrated that mentees (n=10) highly valued Mentorship Matters for career advancement (100%), academic promotion (89%), work-life integration (78%), and scholarship support (78%); 90% found the time commitment appropriate 23,24. Among mentors (n=8), 88% found the time commitment suitable, all found the virtual format effective, and 63% found content on difficult conversations meaningful. In the post-engagement survey, both mentees (n=9) and mentors (n=7) found topics such as leadership development, career advancement, academic promotion, and work-life integration to be highly meaningful 23,24. Mentees emphasized the value of networking. Post-engagement data suggested a strong positive correlation between the virtual format and appropriate time commitment for mentees ( r(7) = 1, P < 0.001) 23,24.

Conclusions

Virtual, regularly scheduled programmatic mentorship supports clinical faculty's career growth. Programs like Mentorship Matters enhance knowledge, job satisfaction, and networking, which fosters faculty success in academic health centers.

Keywords: Mentoring, health professions education, group mentoring, virtual modality, career advancement

Background

Scholarly literature highlights the benefits of mentorship including improved engagement, increased self-efficacy and job satisfaction, academic promotion, leadership preparation, skill development, career advancement, and retention 17 . Mentoring, when utilized to support early-career faculty development, can also be a powerful tool for supporting inclusiveness and a sense of belonging within organizational contexts. Conversely, a lack of mentoring has been found to decrease job satisfaction, slow career development and growth, and reduce academic productivity 8 . For clinical faculty at academic health centers, mentoring has numerous benefits. Notably, mentoring allows faculty to contribute to the development of colleagues by sharing knowledge, skills, and experiences 9 ; promotes self-reflection and self-improvement for the mentor, as they engage in critical discussions and provide feedback to mentees 10 ; enhances job satisfaction by fostering a sense of purpose and accomplishment 4 ; and provides an avenue for networking and building professional relationships within and outside the institution 4, 911 . Faculty recently engaged in a mentoring relationship also rate research skill sets higher than those who report no recent mentoring 4, 12 .

Various mentoring models, ranging from traditional one-on-one to group mentoring, exist within the medical education literature and have been implemented utilizing different approaches. More recently, online and virtual mentoring platforms have gained popularity because they provide flexible and accessible mentoring opportunities 11, 1315 . Given the variety of structured mentoring approaches, the Carilion Clinic Department of Medicine (DOM) and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine created and evaluated a pilot program, which we named Mentorship Matters. Components of self-efficacy theory and the Goal, Reality, Options or Obstacles, and Will or Way Forward (GROW) model framework were implemented in Mentorship Matters to develop a comprehensive mentorship structure, content, and delivery method for the pilot program 16, 17 .

At the time of design and implementation, no formal or consistent mentoring program existed within or across Carilion Clinic DOM sections. Further, given local COVID-19 protocols and restrictions that limited in-person gatherings, a clinical faculty mentoring program delivered via a virtual team-based format was increasingly needed. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program, Mentorship Matters, in utilizing a virtual modality to provide robust, structured mentorship among clinical faculty.

Methods

Mentorship matters structure

Mentorship Matters was designed to address the self-identified mentoring needs of a subset of approximately 225 DOM faculty at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. These areas broadly included the following: career advancement, academic promotion, professional and personal life integration, negotiation, time management skills, understanding institutional priorities, and transitioning from surviving to thriving.

In the summer of 2021, after being briefed on content, scope, and perceived value of Mentorship Matters, section chiefs submitted names of potential mentees and experienced mentors to participate in the pilot program. Twenty-five mentees were nominated (23 chose to participate and 21 were still participating at the conclusion of the program) and eight mentors were selected who represented 11 of 12 DOM sections. All potential participants were informed of the program's design; its potential benefit for career development, advancement, and networking; and the required time commitment. The sole inclusion criterion for participation was nomination by a section chief within the DOM, with input from the Project Director and Department Chair, and the only exclusion criterion was choice not to participate.

Each mentoring group consisted of one mentor and two to three mentees. The groups were created such that mentors and mentees did not share a subspecialty for two reasons: (1) there is value in sharing differing perspectives and (2) to mitigate any naturally occurring gravitation towards those with whom one might identify based on subspecialty. Section chiefs were not assigned as mentors to mentees in their section to avoid possible effects of a supervisory role on the mentoring relationship and to expand conversation and networking.

Between January to November of 2022, ten virtual sessions were scheduled for two hours (5:00-7:00 p.m., EST) on the third Wednesday of each month ( Table 1). The first hour of each session was devoted to content delivery, as a full group. The presenters, comprised of local academic health system subject matter experts, delivered interactive content that aligned with pre-engagement survey data needs, and for select sessions, relevant curated resources were sent to all participants in advance. The second hour consisted of each assigned mentoring group entering a virtual breakout room for individual and small group career counseling, feedback, and working toward scholarship development 18 . Prepared talking points were provided to mentors to supplement conversation in the virtual breakout rooms. The exception to this format was the second session, which was devoted entirely to small group conversation focused on mentee needs and the completion of a Mentoring Worksheet to direct mentee engagement and establishment of goals 19 .

Table 1. Mentorship Matters Content for Virtual Sessions.

Session Date Content of Focus for Virtual Session
Jan. 26, 2022 Mentoring Worksheet
Roles & Qualities of Mentors
Mentoring Agreement
Feb. 23, 2022 Mentee Needs and Individual Career Map
March 23, 2022 Toolbox – Writing Letters of Recommendation
April 26, 2022 Personal Branding: Communicating Your
Message
May 25, 2022 Wellbeing and Work-life integration (Panel of
Presenters)
June 22, 2022 Difficult Conversations
Aug. 24, 2022 Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Promotion Process
Sept. 28, 2022 Curriculum Vitae Creation
Oct. 25, 2022 Research, the IRB, and Promotion Portfolios
Nov. 16, 2022 Leadership: Lessons from Times of Crisis and
Stability

Mentorship matters evaluation

Three anonymous, online surveys were administered to mentees and mentors throughout the 11-month pilot program. Internally created questions were developed after a thorough exploration of the scholarly literature on mentoring within an academic health center, review of best practices in study design, and an iterative process by the Mentorship Matters development team 20 . These surveys, which have not been validated, were built to evaluate the program holistically while focusing on modality, impact of content delivered, and perceptions around skills and abilities to successfully navigate career advancement. Each survey also included the Leadership in Academic Medicine Program (LAMP) Survey’s 14-item, 4-point Likert scale (strongly agree through strongly disagree), which queries respondents’ agreement with statements designed to reflect work satisfaction, self-awareness, and self-efficacy 21, 22 . Informed consent was obtained, in written form, from survey participants prior to survey engagement. Data collected via these surveys is currently available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author and is housed in a data repository 23 .

The pre-engagement survey (January 2022) sought to understand mentoring and career advancement needs, perceived benefits to participation, and anticipated roadblocks by mentees and mentors ( Table 2) 22 . The mid-point (July 2022) and post-engagement (February 2023) surveys explored program effectiveness in terms of improving perceptions of self-efficacy and self-confidence across areas important for career advancement in academic medicine, progress on scholarly projects, and opinions of the pilot program in terms of the virtual platform and time commitment ( Table 2) 22 . All surveys included repeat questions about participant demographics and faculty rank ( Table 3) 22 .

Table 2. Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Engagement Survey Items 22 .

Pre-engagement survey items Asked of
Single item on past involvement in formal mentorship. Mentors & Mentees
Single item on perceived helpfulness of past mentorship. Mentors & Mentees
Single item on perceived ability to mentor others. Mentors
Single item on desired mentorship in the following areas: teaching, scholarship, research, leadership
development, clinical care, work-life integration, career advancement, academic promotion, and/or
negotiation.
Mentors & Mentees
Single item on career advancement curricular content of interest. Mentors & Mentees
Single item on perceived potential benefits of program participation (open-ended). Mentors & Mentees
Single item on perceived roadblocks to achieving personal goals within the program (open-ended). Mentors & Mentees
The Leadership in Academic Medicine (LAMP) 14-item, 4-point Likert scale (strongly agree through
strongly disagree) which queries respondent agreement with statements designed to reflect work
satisfaction, self-awareness, and self-efficacy 21 .
Mentors & Mentees
4 demographic items (racial/ethnic, and gender identity; current academic rank, and time at rank). Mentors & Mentees
Response Rate for Pre-engagement Survey Mentors = 7
Mentees = 16
Mid- and post-engagement survey items Asked of
The Leadership in Academic Medicine (LAMP) 14-item, 4-point Likert scale (strongly agree
through strongly disagree) 21 .
Mentees
Single item on confidence across the following areas: teaching, scholarship, research, leadership
development, clinical care, work-life integration, career advancement, academic promotion, and
negotiation.
Mentees
Single item on helpfulness of interacting with peers over the course of the program. Mentees
Single item on helpfulness of interacting mentors over the course of the program. Mentees
Single item on the perceived effectiveness of virtual modality. Mentors & Mentees
Single item on the perception of time commitment. Mentors & Mentees
Perceived greatest benefit to participating in the program (open-ended). Mentors & Mentees
Response Rate for Mid-point Survey


Response rate for Post-engagement Survey
Mentors = 8
Mentees = 10

Mentors = 7
Mentees = 9

Table 3. Mentorship Matters Participant Demographics.

Mentor Race/Ethnicity n % Mentee Race/Ethnicity n %
Asian or Pacific Islander 2 29 Asian or Pacific Islander 4 25%
Black or African-American -- -- Black or African-American 2 13%
Hispanic or Latino -- -- Hispanic or Latino 1 6
Native American or Alaskan Native -- -- Native American or Alaskan Native -- --
White or Caucasian 5 71 White or Caucasian 9 56
Multiracial or Biracial -- -- Multiracial or Biracial -- --
A race/ethnicity not listed here -- -- A race/ethnicity not listed here -- --
Prefer not to say -- -- Prefer not to say -- --
Did not respond 1 13 Did not respond 7 30
Mentor Faculty Rank Mentee Faculty Rank
Assistant Professor -- -- Assistant Professor 12 80
Associate Professor 2 28 Associate Professor 3 20
Professor 5 71 Professor -- --
Did not respond 1 13 Did not respond 8 35
Mentor Faculty Time-at-Rank Mentee Faculty Time-at-Rank
1–3 years 2 29 1–3 years 5 31
3–7 years 1 14 3–7 years 9 56
Greater than 7 years 4 57 Greater than 7 years 2 13
Did not respond 1 13 Did not respond 7 30
Mentor Gender Identity Mentee Gender Identity
Male 5 71 Male 8 50
Female 2 29 Female 6 37
Non-binary/third gender -- -- Non-binary/third gender -- --
Prefer not to say -- -- Prefer not to say -- --
Did not respond 1 13 Did not respond 9 39
Total n=8 Total n=23

Statistics

All statistical analysis was conducted utilizing Excel Analysis Toolpak, which included descriptive statistics and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis. Two-sample t-tests assuming unequal variances were used to measure changes on the LAMP survey’s 14-item, 4-point Likert scale 21 . All demographic variables ( Table 3) and survey responses were collected as categorical variables and are presented as frequency (%) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), except for the LAMP survey responses which were collected as interval variables 23 . This project did not meet the definition of human subjects research as defined by the federal regulations summarized in 45 CFR 46.102(e), and therefore did not require further IRB oversight or informed consent (determined by Carilion Clinic Institutional Review Board; IRB Determination Reference #21-1480). Given the small sample size of this pilot study, gender differences were not taken into consideration at the time of data analysis.

Results

Mentorship experience

Participants described a lack of sufficient mentorship prior to Mentorship Matters. Of mentee respondents (n=16), 25% denied any mentoring thus far in their career and 63% reported receiving “too little” mentoring. Similarly, of mentor respondents (n=7), 57% denied any formal faculty mentoring and 86% reported “too little” mentoring during their career.

Content areas

Mentees identified mentorship needs across nine content areas ( Table 4). Of the 16 mentee respondents, the areas of greatest identified need were research, career advancement, and academic promotion (each 69%) ( Table 4). Notably, every content area queried was of interest to mentees ( Table 4). On the mid-point engagement survey, mentee respondents (n=10) indicated the program provided them with needed resources and information regarding career advancement (100%), academic promotion (89%), scholarship and work-life integration (each 78%), and teaching and leadership (each 67%) ( Table 4) 22, 23 . At the conclusion of the pilot program, mentee respondents (n=9) indicated Mentorship Matters provided valuable resources and information in all the content areas ( Table 4).

Table 4. Content Areas Assessed in the Pre-, Mid-, and Post- Engagement Surveys by Mentee Respondents.

Content Area Pre-Engagement:
Content Area Need
(n=16, %)
Mid-Engagement: Valuable
Resources/Information Provided
(n=10, %)
Post-Engagement: Valuable
Resources/Information Provided
(n=9, %)
Research 69 33 22
Career advancement 69 100 67
Academic promotion 69 89 67
Scholarship 63 78 44
Teaching 56 67 33
Leadership development 50 67 78
Negotiation 44 11 33
Work-life integration 31 78 56
Clinical care 25 11 11

After participating in Mentorship Matters, the data suggested a strong positive correlation between mentees who felt confident in their ability to progress in their careers and in presenting their academic work ( r(7) = 1, P < 0.001), looked forward to coming to work ( r(7) = 1, P < 0.001), and found their work to be personally satisfying ( r(7) = 1, P < 0.001). A strong positive correlation also emerged between mentee satisfaction with how their career was advancing and believing they had an environment of support and guidance for career advancement ( r(7) = .84, P < .004).

Mentors also noted benefit from participation in Mentorship Matters. Notably, at the mid-point survey, 63% of mentor respondents (n=8) described content concerning difficult conversations as being particularly meaningful. In the post-engagement survey, respondent mentors (n=7) felt their participation provided an “excellent opportunity to connect and interact with colleagues,” “network with physicians from other sections,” and “interact and assist people to advance in their careers” 22, 23 .

LAMP survey results

After Mentorship Matters, mentees were more likely to report, on the LAMP Survey, having a strategy for managing their time and competing demands (t = 2.07, P = 0.018), viewing themselves as confident in their ability to present their academic work (t = 2.07, P = 0.017), having a mentor who meaningfully contributes to their success (t = 2.09, P < 0.001), and possessing a clearer understanding of the promotion process at the institution (t = 2.10, P < 0.001) 22, 23 .

Logistics of mentorship matters

Although 43% of mentee respondents (n=16) and all mentor respondents (n=7) indicated concern regarding the monthly two-hour time commitment in the pre-engagement survey, by the end of the 11-month pilot program, 89% of mentee respondents (n=9) and 71% of mentor respondents (n=7) indicated on the post-engagement survey that the time commitment was appropriate for the benefits gained ( Table 5) 22, 23 . At the cessation of the pilot program, 89% of mentee respondents (n=9) and 100% of mentor respondents (n=7) indicated the virtual format was an effective modality for mentorship ( Table 5). Post-engagement data suggests there was a strong positive correlation between the virtual format and the time commitment for Mentorship Matters being appropriate for mentee schedules ( r(7) = 1, P < 0.001) 23 .

Table 5. Respondents’ Perception of Appropriate Time Commitment and Effective Virtual Modality for Mentorship Matters.

Survey Time Point Appropriate Time Commitment Effective Format
Mentee Mentor Mentee Mentor
Pre-Engagement 57% (n=16) 0% (n=7)
Mid-Point 90% (n=10) 88% (n=8) 100% (n=10) 100% (n=8)
Post-Engagement 89% (n=9) 71% (n=7) 89% (n=9) 100% (n=7)

Discussion

The pilot program, Mentorship Matters, demonstrates that intentionally providing curricula aligned with mentee-identified needs in a virtual format, with structured meeting dates and times, can result in positive outcomes for clinical faculty at an academic health center. Pre-engagement survey data exposed a lack of mentorship across the career trajectory of both mentees and mentors thus highlighting an unmet need among clinical faculty 22, 23 . Subsequent data demonstrated the perceived value of mentoring for faculty was high from both the mentee and mentor perspective. Understanding the value of mentorship from the mentor’s perspective is worthy of deeper exploration in coming iterations of Mentorship Matters.

Although both mentees and mentors voiced concern regarding the two-hour monthly time commitment, post-engagement survey findings demonstrated that the time commitment was manageable ( Table 5) 22, 23 . Given the structured curriculum, relevant content based on a pre-engagement needs assessment of participants was effectively and efficiently provided in one-hour didactic sessions with an additional hour of time reserved for mentee-mentor and peer-to-peer interactions. LAMP survey data suggested that at the completion of the program, mentees had more confidence in their ability to manage time, present their scholarly work, and understand the promotion process, which are all critical aspects to promote career fulfillment 21, 23 .

The authors were concerned, given the virtual format, that mentees and mentors may feel disconnected and have difficulty cultivating strong mentoring relationships given the lack of in-person interaction; however, the post-engagement surgery data did not support this concern and instead revealed that 89% of mentee respondents and all mentor respondents felt the virtual format was effective ( Table 5). All mentees reported viewing their mentorship relationship as one that meaningfully contributes to their success and creates an environment of support and guidance around career advancement, thus highlighting the positive impact of this pilot program. Further, this finding suggests that mentorship across subspecialities is valuable, as evidence by the intentional mentee-mentor group pairings, and should not be overlooked.

Challenges

The primary challenge in the implementation of Mentorship Matters was in variability of participation. Session attendance ranged from 53% to 91% during the program, and it was unclear if participants only attended sessions relevant to their specific interests or needs. The goal was an attendance rate of 90% at each session; however, of the 21 mentees who completed the program, five (24%) were recognized for attending all ten virtual sessions and seven (33%) were recognized for attending 80% of the sessions.

Limitations

Not all mentees completed both the pre-engagement (n=16) and post-engagement (n=9) surveys. The variable response rate may have introduced nonresponse and/or attrition bias into the study findings. Due to the desire to keep the survey data anonymous, the pre-, mid-, and post-engagement survey data were not linked, which prevented investigation of changes across individual participants over time.

Given the perceived lack of adequate mentorship on the pre-engagement survey, it was not surprising that all the content areas identified by the Mentorship Matter team were found to be areas of need by at least one mentee respondent ( Table 4) 22 . The mid-point engagement survey, completed in July 2022, suggested that content was considered high value by participants ( Table 4) 22 . The decline in percentage of respondents indicating that valuable resources were provided for the content areas between the mid- and post- engagement surveys is likely multifactorial. Notably, these results could reflect the Dunning-Kruger effect, which describes a cognitive bias in which those of high ability tend to underestimate their ability, or in other words, as additional resources were provided to participants, they began to feel they had less knowledge in the content areas 24 . A time component may also be contributing; as participants continued in the pilot program, they may have devalued previous resources provided.

While this study's findings hold significance for the medical education community, it is important to note that this research is based on data from a single department within a single organization. Given that this was a pilot program, there was a modest number of participants. Delving deeper into participant responses to open-ended survey questions is an opportunity for future inquiry to offer a more in-depth understanding of participants’ experiences 22 .

Implications

Due to the positive outcomes observed in this pilot, Mentorship Matters will continue to be virtual in future iterations. The data suggests the virtual modality improves convenience without sacrificing connectedness. The virtual nature of Mentorship Matters enables more flexibility on the part of speakers and participants and reduces the cost of the program. Mentees who wished to extend their formal mentoring experience were given the option to continue as Senior Mentees, for another year, as part of their growth pathway.

Conclusions

Mentorship serves as a tool for the career advancement of clinical faculty. Through mentorship, faculty receive guidance on navigating promotion and tenure processes, building professional networks, identifying career pathways, developing essential skills, and receiving advocacy and recognition. Mentorship nurtures mentees’ professional growth and fosters their confidence and professional identities. Institutions should recognize the importance of mentorship to both the individual faculty member and the institution as well as provide support and resources to facilitate mentoring relationships. Creative approaches, like those exemplified by Mentorship Matters, can lead to positive outcomes and growth opportunities for faculty.

Ethics and consent

This project was reviewed by the Carilion Clinic Institutional Review Board and determined not to involve human subjects research as defined by U.S. federal regulations (45 CFR 46.102). As such, formal IRB approval and informed consent were not required.

Nonetheless, all procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were informed of the purpose and voluntary nature of the project, and data were collected and reported anonymously to protect privacy and confidentiality. No minor age individuals were involved in this project.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Lisa Hawks, Carilion Clinic, for her technical and administrative support of the Mentorship Matters program and Shari Whicker, EdD, Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine for her assistance with initial program creation.

Funding Statement

The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.

[version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]

Data availability statement

Underlying data

Open Science Framework (OSF) Repository. Mentorship Matters. DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/M6XG2 23

This project contains the following underlying data:

  • Pre-engagement data 2022. Data in this file pertains to mentoring and career advancement needs, perceived benefits to participation, and anticipated roadblocks by mentees and mentors. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

  • Mid-point Engagement Data 2022. Data in this file pertains to program effectiveness in terms of improving perceptions of self-efficacy and self-confidence across areas important for career advancement in academic medicine, progress on scholarly projects, and opinions of the pilot program in terms of the virtual platform and time commitment. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

  • Post-engagement Data 2022. Data in this file pertains to program effectiveness in terms of improving perceptions of self-efficacy and self-confidence across areas important for career advancement in academic medicine, progress on scholarly projects, and opinions of the pilot program in terms of the virtual platform and time commitment. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

Data is available under the terms of the CC-By Attribution 4.0 International license.

Extended data

Figshare Repository. Mentorship Matters Supplementary Survey File.

DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.28673771.v1 24

This project contains the following extended data:

  • Mentorship Matters Pre-engagement Survey. (Survey questions)

  • Mentorship Matters Mid-point Survey/Post-Engagement Survey. (Survey questions)

Data is available under the terms of the CC-By Attribution 4.0 International license.

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Reviewer response for version 1

Meihua Piao 1

This manuscript presents a timely and well-structured investigation into a virtual team-based mentorship model. The topic is highly relavant and the paper is well-written with a clear argument and appropriate citations of current literature.  The study design appears sound for its purpose and the authors have adequately acknowledged limitations and ensured conclusions are supported by their findings. The work pocesses a clear academic merit.

The primary area requring improvment is the Method Section. To elevate the manuscript's scientific rigor, and, crucially, its replicability, this section should be expanded with significant greater details.

Have any limitations of the research been acknowledged?

Yes

Is the study design appropriate and does the work have academic merit?

Yes

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Yes

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Yes

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Yes

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Partly

Reviewer Expertise:

Medical education and management

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard.

MedEdPublish (2016). 2025 Sep 17. doi: 10.21956/mep.22494.r43492

Reviewer response for version 1

Megan Anakin 1

Thank you for studying the perspectives of mentors and mentees in an online mentorship program. I'm involved in mentorship relationships, as mentor and mentee so I found your article thought-provoking as I engage in one-to-one online mentorship programs. I found the one mentor to 2-3 mentees an interesting structure to learn more about.

Comments are provided to help authors improve their article. 

Abstract: Please reconsider revising the statement, "Virtual, regularly scheduled programmatic mentorship supports clinical faculty's career growth" because the outcome measures participants self-reported ratings of program content rather than measures related to career growth.

Background: In the second paragraph, please briefly describe the key features of the variour mentoring models mentionned in the introductory sentence so the reason why this study was needed is explained to the reader. Please consider moving the information about the Mentorship Matters program and site of the study to the methods section so the background section caputres the interest of an international reader who is not familiar with your situation and the problem you are trying to solve. At the end of the third paragraph, please consider revising the aim of the study so that it is better aligned to the study design because repeated use of a self-perception survey does not provide data about the effectiveness of a program because there is no comparison group.

Methods: Good description of the Mentorship Matters program content, structure, and delivery, and the survey instruments used to gather data.

Results: It is unclear why the sample of participants changes at each of the three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-). This difference should be explained in the methods and a decision should be made as to whether the missing 7 mentees by the end of the study should be reported. Reporting different numbers of participants at each time point does not allow for meaningful interpretations and comparisons of the data. There is also a difference in the number of mentor participants in the results section that needs to be addressed. Please review how the data is presented in the results carefully including in Tables 4 and 5.

Discussion: Once the results have been revised then the statements in the discussion will be well-supported. The information presented in the challenges section should be reported earlier, in the methods section, where the program is described because the variablity of participation had a impact on the number of participants providing data at each time point. This information will help the reader interpret the survey data.

Limitations: Given that attendance records were kept for each session, the researchers know who completed each time point survey, even it they cannot identify individuals and link their data. The researchers are strongly encouraged to review the data and omit participants who do not provide responses at each time point, so their interpretation of the data becomes well supported by the methods used to analyse and present the results. This change will allow the authors to revise the statements explaining the decline in responding participants and focus on reflecting on how the decisions they made during the design and conduct of the study impacted the quality of the results.

Conclusion: To enhance the conclusion, consider revisiting the main discussion points to keep focused on the contribution this study makes to others interested in exploring online mentorship with different ratios of mentors to mentees.

Have any limitations of the research been acknowledged?

Yes

Is the study design appropriate and does the work have academic merit?

Partly

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Partly

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

Partly

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Yes

Reviewer Expertise:

Health professions education research

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above.

MedEdPublish (2016). 2025 Sep 12. doi: 10.21956/mep.22494.r43326

Reviewer response for version 1

Nicholas Munro 1

Reviewer’s narrative report: Virtual team-based mentorship: Fostering knowledge acquisition, career advancement, and connectedness

Mededpub-VER22494-R

Thank you for the opportunity to review the abovementioned article. The authors report on the findings from an 11-month pilot mentoring project which took place virtually in 2022 for clinical faculty at an academic health center. Survey data was collected from mentors and mentees at pre-engagement, mid-point, and post-engagement stages of the project. The article highlights several findings from the survey data, but the four most notable sets of findings pertain to: 1) mentor and mentee experiences of mentoring prior to the project, 2) how valuable mentee participants found the mentoring project, and for which elements of their career at the mid and end points of the project (i.e., career advancement, academic promotion, work-life integration, and scholarship support, 3) whether participants found the time commitment (i.e., 2 hours per month for ten months) suitable, and 4) whether participants found the virtual format acceptable. Research on mentoring early career faculty is especially important, as is the focus on mentoring clinical faculty members. The latter face unique challenges given the variety of demands (clinical, teaching, research, grantspersonship, leadership) placed on them when working in academic health centers.   

Overall, I found the article relevant and informative. The article has the potential to contribute to the growing literature on mentoring for early career medical faculty members. However, there are several elements to the article that would benefit from refinement, and I document these in my report below, according to the different sections of the article.

Abstract:

  • Can the reference to “structured curricula” be modified to specify that the curricula pertains to common mentorship tasks? When I first read the reference to “structured curricula”, I wondered whether the curricula could also pertain to clinical sub-specialisation training.  

  • I suspect that the reference to “24” at the end of the methods section in the abstract is incorrect. Did reference 24, which reports on the statistical exploration of the Dunning-Kruger effect, indeed contribute to the development of the internal questions used in the survey?

  • I found the results section of the abstract very confusing because I could not resolve how 25% of 23 mentees was possible (i.e., 5.75 mentors?). It was also not clear whether the authors were referring to 63% of all participants or just mentors in the second line of the results section. In retrospect, I note that the authors refer to n=10 for mentees at the mid-point (top of page 2), but my confusion around the results reported in the abstract was only resolved when I read in Table 4 (page 6) which confirmed that response rates at the pre-engagement, mid-point, and post-engagement points differed. The authors need to rephrase the results section of the abstract so that the percentages and numbers at the pre-engagement, mid-point, and post-engagement phases are clear. One strategy that might help is to not report percentages at all, but rather to only report on the number of respondents. Reporting any percent related to a sample of 31 seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to me.

  • The conclusion to the abstract highlights that virtual mentoring supports “career growth … [enhances] knowledge, job satisfaction, and networking, which fosters faculty success” (p. 1). In contrast, the title of the article highlights “connectedness” but not “job satisfaction.” The authors could reflect more critically on the outcome domains that their project and study focused on and reflect these more consistently throughout the article.

Background:

The background to the article provides a solid synthesis of mentoring and provides a good justification for the focus on virtual mentoring platforms. Practically, however, it might be useful to operationalize what is meant by a “virtual mentoring platform.” Are we simply talking about meeting via MS Teams or Zoom, or are there specialised virtual platforms that lend themselves to virtual mentoring? Conceptually, is virtual mentoring any different from simply having an online mentoring meeting?

Methods:

The authors provide a useful and clear overview of the Mentorship Matters program. The decision to mix mentees and mentors across subspecialities is especially innovative and strategic, as was the decision not to assign section chiefs as mentors to mentees in their section. Elements from the methods section that would benefit from revision and/or closer investigation include:

  • The authors note that, “Internally created questions were developed after a thorough exploration of the scholarly literature on mentoring within an academic health center, review of best practices in study design, and an iterative process by the Mentorship Matters development” (p. 3), however, they only cite one source for this. If the scholarly literature was thoroughly explored, then perhaps there is more than one source that can be cited? Also, the source cited at this point in the article does not match the two sources cited when the same point is made in the abstract. Perhaps this inconsistency could be resolved?

  • The reference to conducting “two-sample t-tests” (p. 4) needs elaboration and/or more critical investigation. I could not understand why a two-sample t-test was conducted on the LAMP survey data for two reasons:
    • Independent vs dependent data points:
      • The write-up initially creates the impression that the authors are looking at “changes on the LAMP survey’s 14 item, 4-point Likert scale” (p. 4). This creates the impression that the research explores changes in individual participants’ scores (i.e., paired data points, same person measured twice), and I therefore would have assumed that paired/dependent samples t-tests would be used. It only becomes apparent in the limitations section of the article that “the pre, mid-, and post-engagement survey data were not linked” (p. 7), which then partly resolved for me why the authors used a two-sample t-test. The fact that the data on the LAMP survey is not linked should be made explicit when reporting the results so that the reader can make sense of the authors’ decision to use a two-sample t-test.
    • Two or three different data points/groups:
      • If comparing two data points, I would understand the use of a t-test, however, my understanding is that the authors compared LAMP scores at three points (i.e., for three “groups” of participants). If so, why was an ANOVA test, or relevant non-parametric alternative, not used?
  • I am intrigued as to how it was possible for the project not to “meet the definition of human subjects research as defined by the federal regulations …” (p. 4). In what way were human subjects not the subjects of the research? Can the authors provide some brief reflection on this ethical issue? Did the prospective participants not meet the definition of being a human subject because their information would be de-identified to the point of not being easily ascertained. Given the small sample size of the study, and contextual details provided (e.g., Carilion Clinic), I imagine it might be relatively easy to ascertain the identities of the mentors and mentees in the project.

Results:

The first four paragraphs reporting on the results are clear and logical. However, given my aforementioned comments about the use of the t-test, I struggled to make sense of the results presented under the “LAMP survey results.” It was not clear to me which two groups (pre and mid, pre and post, mid and post) were being compared. Perhaps once the methodological issue I raised above has been resolved, the results from the t-tests will make more sense?

Also, I did not understand the purpose of the correlation between time commitment and the virtual format. It might help for the authors to formulate and make explicit what their underlying hypothesis is on the relationship between format of mentoring and time commitment. Is there something theoretically relevant about the format of mentoring and how much time mentors/mentees are willing to spend in mentoring that warranted a correlation analysis, and/or will help make sense of the finding?  

Discussion:

The discussion section of the article could be expanded upon in the following ways:

  • The authors claim that the results from their study support “positive outcomes for clinical faculty at an academic health center” (p. 7). Importantly, the study design (i.e., self-report) does not lend itself to this kind of claim, and the authors can really only claim that their participants self-reported positive outcomes through a survey. I did not notice any reference to any objective measures of possible positive outcomes for mentors or mentees in the article (e.g., promotion, tenure, increased scholarship, successful grants etc).

  • In the discussion, the authors restate their finding that the “post-engagement survey findings demonstrated that the time commitment was manageable” (p. 7). It would be useful to read some discussion about the significance or meaning of this finding. What does it mean? What are the implications of this finding? Can this finding be discussed in relation to other literature on (virtual) mentoring?

Challenges:

  • The variable attendance at the mentoring sessions needs to be flagged much earlier in the article.

Limitations:

  • I do not understand the link to the Dunning-Kruger effect in the article. First, as a minor quibble, technically, I think the Dunning-Kruger effect only pertains to people with low ability, their subsequent limited insight, and consequent overestimation of their abilities. Second, I simply do not understand the link between the “decline in percentage of respondents indicating that valuable resources were provided for the content areas between the mid- and post-engagement surveys” (p. 7) and the Dunning-Kruger effect, even if applied to individuals with high ability. Perhaps the link to this effect could be reflected on more critically, and if retained, explained in more detail?

General formatting and technical comments:

  • Abstract: I would recommend the authors harmonise their use of “%” or “percent.” The interchangeable use of the two is distracting.

  • Page 7: “post-engagement surgery data” should be corrected

Have any limitations of the research been acknowledged?

Yes

Is the study design appropriate and does the work have academic merit?

Partly

Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature?

Partly

If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate?

No

Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility?

Yes

Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results?

Partly

Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others?

Partly

Reviewer Expertise:

Higher education studies, Psychology

I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to confirm that it is of an acceptable scientific standard, however I have significant reservations, as outlined above.

Associated Data

    This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

    Data Availability Statement

    Underlying data

    Open Science Framework (OSF) Repository. Mentorship Matters. DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/M6XG2 23

    This project contains the following underlying data:

    • Pre-engagement data 2022. Data in this file pertains to mentoring and career advancement needs, perceived benefits to participation, and anticipated roadblocks by mentees and mentors. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

    • Mid-point Engagement Data 2022. Data in this file pertains to program effectiveness in terms of improving perceptions of self-efficacy and self-confidence across areas important for career advancement in academic medicine, progress on scholarly projects, and opinions of the pilot program in terms of the virtual platform and time commitment. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

    • Post-engagement Data 2022. Data in this file pertains to program effectiveness in terms of improving perceptions of self-efficacy and self-confidence across areas important for career advancement in academic medicine, progress on scholarly projects, and opinions of the pilot program in terms of the virtual platform and time commitment. Participant demographics are also part of this data file.

    Data is available under the terms of the CC-By Attribution 4.0 International license.

    Extended data

    Figshare Repository. Mentorship Matters Supplementary Survey File.

    DOI 10.6084/m9.figshare.28673771.v1 24

    This project contains the following extended data:

    • Mentorship Matters Pre-engagement Survey. (Survey questions)

    • Mentorship Matters Mid-point Survey/Post-Engagement Survey. (Survey questions)

    Data is available under the terms of the CC-By Attribution 4.0 International license.


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