Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Mentoring of junior faculty members continues to be a widespread need in academic pharmacy in both new programs and established schools. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Joint Council Task Force on Mentoring was charged with gathering information from member colleges and schools and from the literature to determine best practices that could be shared with the academy. The task force summarized their findings regarding the needs and responsibilities for mentors and protégés at all faculty levels; what mentoring pieces are in existence, which need improvement, and which need to be created; and how effective mentoring is defined and could be measured. Based on these findings, the task force developed several recommendations as well as the PAIRS Faculty Mentorship Checklist. Academic institutions can benefit from the checklist whether they are planning to implement a faculty mentorship program or are interested in modifying existing programs.
Introduction
Formal mentoring has been associated with improved faculty job satisfaction, increased commitment, reductions in faculty turnover, greater productivity, and a favorable "departmental ethos." Alternatively, lack of mentoring has been associated with faculty isolation, stress, burnout, and turnover. Traditionally, mentoring has been focused at the junior faculty level where orientation to academic life, career planning, and promotion are vital elements. However, the need for mentoring has been identified at every step of an academic career, including for midlevel faculty members who are looking to expand their portfolios and be promoted to professor; and senior faculty members who may want to transition to academic administration or rejuvenate their research profiles. There is also an identified need for mentoring based on category of profile (teaching/scholarship/clinical service). Hence, there is a definite need for a plan to incorporate these different types and levels of mentoring.
The AACP Joint Councils Task Force on Mentoring (2012–2013) was charged to determine: (1) the needs and responsibilities for mentors and protégés at all faculty levels; (2) what mentoring pieces are in existence, need improvement, or need to be created; and (3) how effective mentoring is defined and could be measured. Given the diversity of mentoring programs and levels previously identified, a template for mentoring programs was needed. This template evolved into a checklist for faculty mentoring in academic pharmacy programs. A "cookie cutter" approach to mentorship would not work in most cases as all mentors and protégés are not the same in their goals and approach. Thus, this checklist is intended to serve as a resource to pharmacy colleges and schools that are considering a faculty mentorship program, as well as those who are interested in implementing a faculty mentorship program and would like some resources, and those who would like to modify an existing program. The proposed checklist would need to be easily modifiable for different types and levels of mentoring. The primary objectives of this paper are to present recommendations based on findings from a comprehensive literature review and to describe the development of a checklist that can be used to establish, implement, or modify academic pharmacy mentoring programs.