![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a formal mentoring program on time to academic promotion and differences in gender-based outcomes.
Methods: Comparisons of time to promotion (i) before and after implementation of a formal mentoring program and (ii) between mentored and non-mentored faculty matched for covariates. Using paired-samples t-testing and mixed repeated measures ANCOVA, we explored the effect of mentor assignment and influence of gender on time to promotion.
Results: Promotional data from 1988 to 2010 for 382 faculty members appointed before 2003 were compared with 229 faculty members appointed in 2003 or later. Faculty appointed in 2003 or later were promoted 1.2 years (mean) sooner versus those appointed before 2003 (3.7 [SD = 1.7] vs. 2.5 [SD = 2], p < 0.0001). Regardless of year of appointment, mentor assignment appears to be significantly associated with a reduction in time to promotion versus non-mentored (3.4 [SD = 2.4] vs. 4.4 [SD = 2.6], p = 0.011). Gender effects were statistically insignificant. Post hoc analyses of time to promotion suggested that observed differences are not attributable to temporal effects, but rather assignment to a mentor.
Conclusions: Mentoring was a powerful predictor of promotion, regardless of the year of appointment and likely benefited both genders equally. University resource allocation in support of mentoring appears to accelerate faculty advancement.
Declaration of interest: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose, financial or otherwise. Funding for this study was provided by the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. This funding was received in the form of Edmund Lorens’ salary as statistician and Dr. Laurie Morrison’s’ salary support from the Department of Medicine for her contribution as chair of the Faculty Development Committee and member of the Executive Committee. All other authors did not receive any funding related to faculty development. The Department of Medicine did not play a role in the design and conduct of the study; data collection and management, analysis, and synthesis of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.