The role of reverse mentoring in medical education: current insights

Figures & data

Box 1 Typical characteristics and benefits of reverse mentoring

The more experienced specialists are mentored by the less experienced specialists (sometimes, the “millennial”) Junior or mid-career level mentors are engaged with present and future technology More inexperienced mentors learn from the more experienced specialists, who have extensive knowledge, skills and experience in their field Has the capacity to narrow the gap between different employee generations Builds social capital within the workplace Provides a two-way learning process; the mentor and mentee learn from each other Professional skills of mentoring are developed by the more junior mentor Mentors are recognized for their expertise in particular areas, eg, IT skills in literature searches, genetic analysis, clinician well-being

Table 1 Examples of features that differentiate reverse mentoring from traditional mentoring

Traditional mentoring	Reverse mentoring
Length of mentoring relationship
Usually longitudinal relationships	Shorter, specific content-driven relationships
Who mentors who
More experienced specialist mentors the less experienced specialists	Less experienced specialist mentors the more experienced specialist
Subject areas and nature of guideance
Broader, holistic mentoring, eg, career, professionalism, research, work/life balance	Often targeted mentoring to improve specific knowledge, eg, e-medicine, use of apps, literature searching, clinician well-being
Mentor fulfills nurturing role	Mentee can provide nurturing role, behavior to emulate
Navigating institutions, warning of pitfalls	Mentor provides a new perspective

Table 2 Attributes and behaviors of effective mentors in reverse mentoring

Attributes

Behaviors

Patience required in teaching new concepts (eg, genetics, online modules) Generous with their time Enthusiastic in their area of expertise Responsive to the needs of the mentee Honest and professional in their feedback Clear and effective communication skills Values ongoing learning Willingness to share their knowledge and experience

Respects and acknowledges the expertise of the mentee Understands that the mentee may have limited time, and extensive responsibilities (eg, clinical service, health administration) Encourages the formation of joint learning objectives and skills outcomes Provides a comfortable learning environment Identifies the resources needed to achieve set goals Provides opportunities for the mentee to assess their own needs and progress Actively listens to the needs of the mentee to improve cross-generational communication

Table 3 Attributes and behaviors of effective mentees in reverse mentoring

Attributes	Behaviors
Open to learning new concepts An ability to be taught by those younger, remember that you are the “mentee” Ability to receiving honest feedback Proactive in identifying specific needs Communication skills	Shows respect for the skills of the mentor Articulates their needs clearly to the mentor May require practice and review to improve specific skills Affective-based learning, allowing attitudinal changes

Figure 1 Flowchart illustrating the activities and input required for a reverse mentorship program.

Table 4 Potential benefits for mentors in reverse mentoring

Increased job satisfaction Learning a new professional skill Access and links to a wider network, which may include those in leadership roles Practice in providing honest feedback to senior colleagues Greater opportunities to be included in research Opportunity to role model from leaders with qualities you admire

Table 5 Potential benefits for mentees in reverse mentoring

Improve the social capital of the organization Renewed enthusiasm and energy for a new topic Gain greater insight into the workplace Opportunity to provide junior specialists access to a wider network, which may otherwise be difficult for them to enter Attainment of new learned knowledge and skills