Faculty Mentor Role

What does it mean to be a Faculty Mentor?

Faculty can request a Mentor because they are searching for members of a formal committee, or because they are searching for one-on-one mentoring. In either case, as a Mentor, you play an important role in the development of junior ISMMS Faculty.

Benefits and Rewards

• Use your professional experiences and insights to help someone else 
• Expand your own professional network 
• Consider the possibility of new collaborations with your Mentee 
• Refine your interpersonal and leadership skills 
• Discover fresh perspectives from your Faculty Mentee 
• Feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction from contributing to the success of the current ISMMS Faculty 
• Connect with the ISMMS community 
• Your service will be noted in participation summaries given to Department Leadership

Do’s

• Be available for meetings when requested by your Faculty Mentee. 
• Reply to communications from your Mentee within 3-4 business days. 
• Establish clear expectations regarding meetings with your Faculty Mentee 
• Encourage your Mentee outside of formal meetings, especially in difficult times (when a grant is rejected, when they are not selected for an award, etc.). 
• Make your Mentee feel seen by acknowledging their hard work, even when experiments or grant applications do not work out or their clinical or teaching roles are challenging. 
• Help your Faculty Mentee identify opportunities both within and outside of Sinai to showcase their research, teaching, or clinical skills. 
• Introduce your Faculty Mentee to colleagues at Mount Sinai and other institutions. 
• Contact the program administrator at ofd@mssm.edu if you have any questions or concerns regarding your advising relationship or if you have suggestions for how we can improve this program

Don’ts

• DON’T expect to have instant rapport with your Faculty Mentee. It may take time to develop a relationship, so be patient. 
• DON’T violate confidence. Discussions should stay between you and your Faculty Mentee. Preserving an environment of confidentiality and trust should be a top priority. 
• DON’T tell your Faculty Mentee what to do. Instead: make suggestions, share ideas and give encouragement. 
• DON’T be afraid to admit that you do not know the answer or that you have made a mistake. Find the correct answer and learn together. It helps your Faculty Mentee to see that you are learning too. 
• DON’T forget your own experiences as a junior Faculty member. What do you wish a more experienced professional had said to you or done for you?