Mentoring

In 2011, the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation participated in a 16-site randomized trial of a curriculum to train mentors as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award network. The trial demonstrated that this competency-based research mentor training curriculum can improve mentor skills*. Each year YCCI offers mentor training using this proven curriculum, and course participants consistently give the course high ratings. YCCI will again offer the course in Fall 2022 on the dates listed below.

The goal of the course is to accelerate the process of becoming an effective research mentor by providing you with an intellectual framework, an opportunity to experiment with various methods, and a forum in which to solve mentoring dilemmas with the help of your peers. The mentor training process expands your experience through secondhand exposure to the experiences of the entire group, enabling you, in a short period of time, to engage with as many mentoring experiences as you might typically handle in a decade. The process in turn enhances your readiness to work with diverse mentees and anticipate new situations. At the completion of the course, you will have articulated your own approach to mentoring and have a toolbox of strategies to draw upon when confronted with mentoring challenges.

If you are interested in participating, you must commit to attending at least 4 sessions: either the first 4 sessions or 3 of the first 4 sessions and the last session (which is a make-up session). The course is open to faculty members of any rank who serve as research mentors. Faculty at all career stages have found the training to be useful.

We ask that you include a brief CV or biosketch. Class size is limited. We will let people know by early September whether there is space available for them to participate.

If you have any questions please email YCCI Training.

^{*Pfund C, House SC, Asquith P, Fleming MF, Buhr KA, Burnham EL, Eichenberger, Gilmore JM, Huskins WC, McGee R, Schurr K, Shapiro ED, Spencer KC, Sorkness CA.
Training mentors of clinical and translational research scholars: a randomized controlled trial. Acad Med. 2014 May;89(5):774-82. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000218. PubMed PMID: 24667509; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4121731}

Scholars in YCCI’s educational programs are mentored and monitored by one or more senior faculty members from their department. In addition to these primary mentors, each Scholar is guided by a Career Development Committee. These mentors are senior faculty members from various departments who provide an unbiased perspective on Scholars’ progress and career development and make suggestions about future directions for both research and grant proposals. This integrated program led by an interdisciplinary team of mentors provides scholars with a significantly broader grounding in the essential elements of clinical and translational research. Scholars meet with their committee at least twice a year and committee members also attend Research in Progress meetings at which Scholars present their research.

Members of each committee are chosen based on the breadth, depth, and quality of their clinical and translational research, on their track records in mentoring young scientists, and on their shared commitment to developing an exciting intellectual environment for YCCI trainees. We are fortunate in having a very large pool of senior faculty members who are outstanding investigators in all types of clinical and translational science and who also are experienced mentors. Faculty members shown below are available to serve in the role of Career Development Mentors for our YCCI Scholars.