Mentorship

Join ACOG's Mentorship Program

Using MentorCity, ACOG's Mentorship Program connects experienced obstetrician–gynecologists with younger physicians (including those new to practice, Junior Fellows, and medical students) through a formal mentor-mentee matching program.

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Throughout your life and career, there are times when you can benefit from the advice, guidance, and support of a mentor. There are also times when you can share your expertise and experiences to guide mentees in the right direction. Participants in ACOG's Mentorship Program have the opportunity to create connections among ACOG members, share their knowledge and experiences, as well as seek information on specific topics. This commitment can be as simple as a single conversation, or the beginning of an enduring relationship. This member benefit is free and open to all ACOG members.

Mentorship Program Guide

Overview of the Program

ACOG is an organization that supports physicians in training and in practice, and advocates for quality care for women. Successful ob-gyns can often look back over their professional careers and identify mentors who helped them along the way. These relationships are generally informal and born out of circumstance—the attending physicians that taught us in medical school, the co-residents with whom we trained, the practice partners with whom we worked. ACOG’s Mentorship Program facilitates these relationships through a formal mentor-mentee matching program and informal networking at meetings and events. The program is open to all ACOG members.

What Can I Expect From Mentorship?

The term "mentor" is used to define the role of an individual with personal and professional experiences that enable them to provide guidance, education, and advice. The scope and focus of mentoring relationships will vary for every mentor-mentee pair, as it will reflect the individual needs of the participants.

• Knowledge: Provide mentees with feedback on their performance and suggestions on how to improve. A mentor teaches mentees skills they need to be successful
• Experience: Build a partnership that focuses on personal and professional development. A mentor shares their experience and networks, and challenges mentees to grow in a safe environment.
• Advice: Provide information or an opinion about what another person should do in a specific academic or personal matter. A mentor gives honest input on handling difficult situations.

Program Goals

1. Assist members in sharing their skills, knowledge, and expertise
2. Demonstrate optimism and enthusiasm about the mentor-mentee relationship and the field of obstetrics and gynecology
3. Promote ongoing learning and growth
4. Provide guidance and constructive feedback
5. Help members set personal and professional goals
6. Help members celebrate accomplishments

Roles of the Parties

ACOG

The Mentorship Team, with support of the ACOG staff, will facilitate the program.

• Provide education on how to successfully serve as a mentor
• Match mentees to their mentors
• Suggest modes of communication and activities intended to enhance the mentor-mentee relationship
• Host mentorship events at ACOG meetings
• Outline the intent, guidelines, advantages, and limitations of the mentorship program
• Assist in identifying potential participants’ needs and objectives regarding mentoring opportunities
• Maintain and evaluate the program’s activities for ongoing modification and improvement

Mentors

The mentor should:

• Be supportive, positive, interested, and involved.
• Provide feedback on the mentee’s ideas and questions.
• Act as a role model.
• Maintain confidences.

Mentees

The mentee should:

• Discuss expectations
• Be receptive to constructive criticism and feedback
• Be respectful of the mentor’s time
• Demonstrate high standards of professionalism
• Communicate with the mentor and Mentorship Team
• Accept completion of the mentor-mentee relationship if advised by the Mentorship Team

Being a Mentor or Mentee

Possible Areas of Focus

• Transition from residency to practice
• Day-to-day challenges of practicing medicine
• Specific questions about medicine and surgery
• Work-life balance
• Marketing your practice
• Time management, organizational skills and physician efficiency
• Maintenance of Certification
• Understanding ACOG and pursuing a leadership role

Suggested Activities

• Advising mentees about Fellowship options, career opportunities, and decisions about joining a practice
• Attending events together, such as continuing education workshops or ACOG meetings
• Taking leadership roles in advocacy by supporting women’s health issues, becoming a voice for the specialty at the local and national level, and attending
  ACOG’s Congressional Leadership Conference
• Supporting mentee research initiatives and providing information on grants, awards, and ACOG programs
• Pursing a leadership role with ACOG

Profiles

Mentor and mentee applicants will complete profiles with their individual information and objectives in order to be matched. Profiles will be stored in a database that will only be used for matching and will not be shared with any third parties. To create a profile, visit MentorCity. You must be an ACOG member to participate in the program.

Agreement of Mentor and Mentee

By completing a mentorship profile, the participant indicates his or her agreement with the following terms and conditions:

1. The participant agrees to make a good faith effort to comply with the performance objectives and suggestions outlined in this guide, by the program director, and ACOG. Failure to do so may jeopardize the individual’s continued participation in the program.
2. The participant acknowledges that his or her conduct as a mentor or mentee is subject to the Code of Professional Ethics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
3. The participant agrees that ACOG makes no representation or warranty regarding the nature or quality of the advice that the participant may receive from other participants in the program and that ACOG shall have no liability for any act of any participant in the program or for any claim related to ACOG’s administration of the program.
4. The participant acknowledges that this program is not to be used for recruitment purposes.

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