Mentorship Program

Canadian Society of Physician Leaders

Mentorship Program

 

 

Below is a short description of how the current Mentorship/Mentee program works once you have decided to participate as either a Mentor or Mentee.

 

CSPL Implementation Process

 

1. A short questionnaire will be sent to both Mentors and Mentees in order to provide us with more detailed information.

2. Once we receive the questionnaires, we will attempt to make an appropriate match between a Mentor and Mentee. The CSPL will make the first initial contact between the mentor and mentee and then the partnership will be left up to the mentee and mentor from that point on.

3. We ask that the Mentor/Mentee upfront decide how long of a commitment you are both expecting.  Sometimes, a mentee is dealing with a particular situation and once it has been resolved, the relationship may or may not be completed. The average term is between 6 month and year.

4. The mentor and mentee are encouraged to jointly formalize expectations and define goals for what they hope to accomplish from their partnership

 

Mentoring occurs anytime one individual transfers knowledge (usually based on experience) to another individual.  In the case of the CSPL mentorship program, this exchange of knowledge will occur mainly by email but can also be done over the phone or in some cases person-to-person.  The program is geared to all members at all stages of their careers. We hope to have all mentors/mentees matched according to areas of interest, but sometimes your first choice of mentor/mentee may not always be the correct one for you.  In this situation, we ask both the mentor and mentee not to hesitate to ask for another match.  Below are the mentor fundamentals along with a list of basic do’s and don’ts that we hope members will abide by.

 

Mentor Fundamentals

 

• Mentoring is optimized by playing an active role, rather than merely passive

• Mentoring is a commitment of time, energy and expertise

• Take the time to ask about the mentee’s background and listen carefully to his/her questions or concerns

• Encourage your mentee to build their interests and expertise in their strong areas

• Raise issues that the mentee may have overlooked

• Challenge the mentee to pursue career-enhancing opportunities and experiences

• Earn the mentee’s trust by keeping appointments and responding to queries

• Tailor your advice to the mentee’s background and learning style

• Articulate the steps that led to success in your own career

 

Mentor Do’s and Don’ts

 

• A mentor should not provide more than 30 minutes per week in telephone/email conversations with the mentee

• A mentor/mentee shall not provide confidential information about prospects

• A mentor will not provide in-depth training

 

Mentee Do’s and Don’ts

 

• Respect the parameters of the mentoring relationship

• The mentee must be motivated to initiate questions and keep up the relationship

• A mentor/mentee shall not provide confidential information about prospects