The Evolution of Medical Mentoring: The Trends and the Best Practices

"Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction."

 - John C. Crosby

Contents:

Milestones in Medical Mentoring

Modern Medical Mentoring in India

Benefits of Coaching and Mentoring in Healthcare

Best Practices in Medical Mentoring

Mentor Selection and Training

Effective Mentor-Mentee Relationships

Evaluation and Feedback Mechanisms

Role of Technology in Mentorship

Barriers to Effective Medical Mentorship

Anastomos as a Mentor for Your Career

Milestones in Medical Mentoring

The dynamism and advancements in healthcare demand continuous research, knowledge updates, and academic progress. Graduates, residents, attendings, and specialists—the need to upgrade knowledge spans all levels of expertise. Only depending on experiential learning in clinical practice results in practical knowledge that lacks a foundation in authentic knowledge. Hence, it is crucial to follow planned academic and hands-on programs, take certification tests, and have the guidance of seasoned health mentors.

History shows that medical education has always relied to a great extent on apprenticeships, or internships, as we call them. Homer's Mentor says that mentors can play a variety of functions. They ensure long-term interactions where mentees learn and progress, similar to modern residencies and fellowships.

Going by those rules, mentors are stalwarts in the industry who assume a more professional role than an academic one. They guide you across all platforms—studies, practical applications, research, and career counseling. Needless to say, healthcare mentorship programs have revolutionized the face of healthcare education in India.

‘Health mentors today play a more professional role than an academic one.'

Modern Medical Mentoring in India

Research based on NHWA 2018 data found that there were 5.76 million healthcare professionals, comprising 1.16 million doctors, 2.34 million nurses/midwives, 1.20 million pharmacists, 0.27 million dentists, and 0.79 million AYUSH practitioners in India. With the country churning out some of the highest numbers of healthcare graduates and post-graduates, coaching and mentoring in healthcare become vital.

Mentor India is one such key national initiative by AIM, NITI Aayog, which engages experts from various fields to mentor students in Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and startups, fostering strategic development. However, a unified platform for exclusive mentoring in healthcare is yet to be developed.

Stay tuned as we discuss mentoring in healthcare, the benefits, the challenges, and how Anastomos as a platform can revolutionize the face of medical mentorship in the country.

Benefits of Coaching and Mentoring in Healthcare

To the Mentee:

• Authentic Knowledge Transfer: Receive essential insights and expertise from a mentor who walks the path with you, knows your strengths and weaknesses, and offers first-hand knowledge.

• Quality Professional Development: Improve your skills and knowledge for career growth. Observation, hands-on internships, and guided training are invaluable to mastering any professional skill.

• Nurturing Leadership Skills: A mentor is a pioneer and guiding light in the development of leadership and influential skills in the healthcare industry.

• Ensuring Quality Improvement in Practice: Skills need advancement; learn how to maintain and enhance the quality of healthcare services to add that extra edge.

• Instilling Networking Skills: The mentor introduces new connections and relationships that will help you in your healthcare career.

To the Mentor:

• Job Satisfaction: The satisfaction that comes from assisting mentees in growing and succeeding in their healthcare careers is enormous. They are your lightbearers.

• Reduced Burnout: Alternating between clinical practice and interaction with mentees can alleviate the stress and burnout of this demanding field of healthcare. Mentoring also allows for remote work options, fostering better family time and rest.

• Improved Communication: As you mentor students, you improve your communication skills—you can brainstorm new methods to teach, collaborate, and take tests.

• Personal Growth: Mentorships can earn you academic and professional badges, helping your career grow.

Best Practices in Medical Mentoring

Mentorship should be such that the mentee gains practical experience anecdotally and learns from the mentor by observing his skills and actions. Here is a walk down of the best practices in coaching and mentoring in healthcare:

• Mentor Selection and Training

It is important to pair up with a mentor who is aligned with the skills you need to learn as well as your thought process. For example, if you are a pediatric resident, you need a mentor who not only coaches you academically and clinically but also teaches you insightful tips and tricks to tackle child psychology, befriend a child, and also intelligently reassure the child’s guardians.

• Effective Mentor-Mentee Relationships

It is crucial to establish clear communication between the mentor and the mentee. Encourage open, sincere communication and mutual trust to create a welcoming space where people can voice concerns and receive helpful feedback.

• Evaluation and Feedback Mechanisms

Effective mentoring is being more critical than appreciative. Implementing a system for regular progress assessments and constructive feedback will help mentees identify areas for improvement and create action plans for growth. The key to success is adaptability. The mentor requires time to adjust to the student's pace, and the mentee cannot rush the training either.

Role of Technology in Mentorship

Upskilling through mentoring in healthcare has seen a paradigm shift with technology. The key tools of tech-savvy mentoring include:

• Online mentoring and tutoring platforms

• Telecommunication: video conferencing and emailers

• E-learning resources: Using online courses and training resources to help mentees improve their skills and knowledge

• Encrypted portals for assessments, feedback, and progress monitoring

• Teaching aids like AR and VR: These resources enable students to engage in immersive practice before taking on actual clinical situations.

• Apps: Using mobile applications, you can access coaching resources and interact while on the go.

• Cloud Storage: The storage and sharing of relevant information and resources across the globe in the cloud for easy access

Barriers to Effective Mentoring in Healthcare

Numerous obstacles have long impeded the advancement of healthcare mentorships, according to research:

Mentor Challenges:

• Lack of understanding of the mentorship process

• The absence of authentic online platforms that help with branding and reaching out to students

• There is no streamlined process for evaluating mentors

• Managing transitions in a mentorship relationship

• Lack of commitment to mentorship

• Mentee preference and favoritism

Mentee Challenges:

• Restricted mentor preference options

• Lack of a unified platform to research the selected mentor

• Lack of freedom of expression

While these still exist, the gradual implementation of governmental and private digitization initiatives has made progress. Strict monitoring of mentorship registrations, execution, tests, and certificate allotment has effectively reduced errors. However, the need for a unified, authentic platform to connect both parties across the globe still exists.

Anastomos as a Mentor for Your Career

Anastomos provides an all-inclusive, comprehensive solution for healthcare career development. Our approach—crafted by prominent leaders in the Indian healthcare sector, offers a complete pathway to shape your coaching and mentoring in healthcare.

Anastomos offers the value-added service of 'mentoring in healthcare’ to help you engage with industry leaders for a pathbreaking career. Alternatively, if you're eager to invest your time and possess a sincere desire to assist others, you can also step into the role of a mentor. Our platform onboards mentors after a thorough check of credentials and qualifications. On the flip side, our digital tools enable you to match up with the mentor best suited to your professional goals.

To know more stay put for our upcoming article of the same series.