Mentorship Matters May 2024: The challenges and opportunities of mid-career

Just when you think you have mastered the art of balancing clinical, research, and teaching duties, along comes promotion season, challenges to maintaining research funding, taking on leadership roles, keeping up and adapting to changes in academic practices, technology, and yes, the “should I go on social media or not” question. Navigating the mid-career trajectory as an academic physician embodies a confluence of responsibilities, demanding judicious balance of clinical proficiency, scholarly endeavors, institutional and personal obligations. It can all be very challenging!

To start the conversation, Drs. Umberin Najeeb and Karen Leslie facilitated a mentorship masterclass for mid-career faculty members in February 2024. Among proposed ideas to support mid-career faculty were (i) developing mid-career faculty retreats once a year for support and development, (ii) efforts to recognize the importance of mentorship, including peer-mentorship during this academic stage, and (iii) the development of group-specific networks. They also shared resources you may find useful:

• Bickel J. Not Too Late to Reinvigorate: How Midcareer Faculty Can Continue Growing. Acad Med 2016; 91(12):1601-1605
• Dobrow, SR et al. A Review of Developmental Networks: Incorporating a Mutuality Perspective. Journal of Management 2012; 38(1), 210-242
• A New Mindset on Mentoring: Creating Developmental Networks at Work

Chin-up mid-career colleagues, as in every challenge, there is also an opportunity. A challenge may become a story worth telling and a lesson worth learning. Stay tuned for upcoming workshops dedicated to mid-career faculty.

Caroline K Kramer, Faculty Lead Mentorship, Culture and Inclusion Portfolio