Finding Your Match in Mentorship
Success Stories from the Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Section
The mentoring process dates back to early Greek mythology when Ulysses left his infant son, Telemachus, in the hands of loyal friend and advisor, Mentor, when he left to fight in the Trojan War. During Ulysses’ 20-year absence, Mentor guided Telemachus in his education, character and wisdom. Mentoring today is synonymous with the process by which we guard and guide others.
One of the many benefits of membership within a professional organization such as the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) is the opportunity to establish mentoring relationships. Cultivating such relationships successfully in an unstructured environment, such as the workplace, often is challenging. Those most fitted to serve as mentors must juggle increasing academic demands, high patient volume and personal time. Likewise, potential mentees may find themselves lost if an institution puts more emphasis on securing grants and publications than on promotion and tenure. In fact, one review reported fewer than 50% of medical students had a mentor; within some specialties, fewer than 20% of faculty members reported having mentees.(1)
With these challenges in mind, the Society’s Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology (CPP) Section established in 2005 a mentorship program for its members. With more than 1,200 active members, the section has experienced tremendous growth since its inception in 1988. Pharmacy and pharmacology practice within critical care is a growing field, and section leaders realized that providing strong mentorship was vital to achieving success as part of the multiprofessional team. Having a structured program allowed a framework where participants could more easily seek out such opportunities. Those seeking mentorship are usually seasoned pharmacists experiencing major career shifts or junior members entering the field.
In 2006, Zach Thomas, PharmD, was one of those junior members. He was just finishing his critical care residency at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was eager to launch a career in the intensive care unit. He had been a member of SCCM and the CPP Section since the start of his critical care training, and sought a mentor through the program after finding the streamlined processes very appealing. “I was introduced to the program by more senior members of SCCM who I admired and trusted. I knew those enrolled to be mentors were national leaders in critical care pharmacy, and I stood to learn a great deal from them,” Thomas said.
Thomas was excited to be paired with Gilles Fraser, BS, PharmD, FCCM, someone whom he admired in the literature and knew to be a leader in the field. “But, I was also concerned whether someone who was so involved would have the time to spend with someone who was just starting,” he admitted.
His concerns quickly were put to rest as the relationship flourished, and both men credit each other for the success of their match. “He definitely expected something out of me. It wasn’t a one-way street; we were involved because we both wanted something out of it.” They shared papers and presentations, and discussed their opinions about emerging studies. Many mentees particularly credit their mentors with helping them develop their academic writing skills, and Thomas credits Fraser for guiding him in this area. “During my critical care residency I took a stab a writing a review article. I thought the article was good and was very disappointed to learn that it was rejected,” he recalled. “Soon after Gil and I were paired, we started to a work on a review article on the use of steroids in sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Gil mentored me throughout the entire process. He ensured that the final product was a high-quality manuscript. Looking back at my first attempt at writing a review, I realize now that it had the stamp of a novice all over it. I now consider medical writing to be one my strongest skills, and I credit Gil with helping me hone this skill. Needless to say, the article that we worked on together was published.”
Fraser, however, is quick to note that he too has gained from the experience. “Zach has an amazing ability to seek out the literature and find the issues and details necessary in order to make informed decisions. I would say 50% of the knowledge I carry with me that is regarded as frontline comes from him,” Fraser explained. “This mentor has actually switched roles and is now the mentee. It’s been a wonderful, gratifying relationship: an exchange of ideas, cultures and new approaches.”
Mentors within the critical care community are typically like Fraser: senior practitioners with extensive clinical and life experiences who wish to give back to the profession. They guide mentees in many areas including clinical practice, research, career choices and networking; they offer valuable guidance in how to handle failure, provide constructive criticism with honesty and empathy, and give assistance with professional networking and advice when interacting with peers. Mentors should be prepared to shift focus away from their professional needs exclusively, as mentees are allowed responsibility for their own accomplishments. The lifelong mentor-mentee relationship requires trust, honesty and patience.
Experiences like those of Thomas and Fraser are numerous, as the section’s program has matched many individuals with mentors in practice, research, service within SCCM, or management. All CPP Section members are invited to participate as either mentors, mentees or both. The section distributes reading materials and resources on mentorship, and the formal relationship is intended to last one year.
However, many participants have seen their mentor-mentee relationships grow beyond the program. Jeffrey Barletta, PharmD, FCCM, another practitioner involved in the program, credits his mentor for helping to shape his practice today. “It’s a lifelong relationship,” he said. “You look to your mentor for different reasons throughout your professional life. I think everyone needs a mentor, and it’s difficult to find if you are not in the right environment. This program provides an opportunity for those who may have not found a mentorship during their training. Or, maybe you have a shift in your career focus – such as from a clinical role to an administrative role – and you need a different kind of guidance.”
In fact, the new management category was added to help those experiencing that exact shift. “Within pharmacy in particular, our roles keep changing,” explained CPP section chair Stephanie Mallow-Corbett, PharmD. Positions in research, management or administration may be new territory for many, but the expanding role of the critical care pharmacist begets new challenges. “Because our profession keeps evolving, we have to find ways to support each other and grow with that change.”
Providing support is one of the key elements in mentorship, a relationship that thrives on feedback and dialogue. Fraser had advice for participants on both sides: “It takes effort to participate in this dialogue. It can’t just be the mentor feeding the mentee; there has to be give and take. The mentor can’t really know the needs of the mentee unless there is sufficient feedback.” Fraser and Thomas continue to guide each other as their professional relationship, sparked by involvement in their Society and section, flourishes into one of mutual respect and friendship.
References:
1. Sambunjak D, et al. Mentoring in academic medicine: a systematic review. JAMA. 2006;296:1103-1115.
