Hall, G., Corsino, L., Mack, M., Hall, R., Sloane, R., Sullivan, B., Hough, H., Thomas, K., & Colon-Emeric, C.

Mentorship Interventions Across Career Stages in Biomedical & Health Sciences Fields [Special Issue], Vol. 8, No. 1, (2024) pp. 169-177

doi.org/10.62935/of1528

Abstract

The National Academies of Science stresses the importance of research mentoring. We assessed the internal consistency and application of a novel 33 item mentor evaluation survey and explored differences across subgroups. The survey was administered annually to mentees. The response rate was 17.8% for a sample of 710 respondents. The survey exhibited strong internal validity with Cronbach Alpha > 0.89 for each subscale. Overall scores across the three domains were high. Basic Science trainees scored their mentor significantly lower than those in Translational or Clinical Science across domains (0.11-0.25 points). Underrepresented Racial Ethnic Groups (UREG) trainee scores were significantly lower in academic guidance and personal communication. Women had lower scores in 4 out of 5 domains. The survey is a modified instrument to assess mentee experience, although further validation against mentee outcomes is needed.