IDP Self-Assessment and Mentorship

The purpose of the self-assessment is to provide early faculty and the division chief with a clear understanding of what it means to shape a successful career in academic medicine over time. In doing so, the self-assessment provides a shared language for discussing early faculty progress from appointment to promotion.

After a self-assessment early faculty in concert with their division chief and mentors identify developmental opportunities that will help address any concerns/challenges that need further development. The IDP will serve as a functional tool to help organize a self-assessment of early faculty’s current progress, skill levels, strengths, and developmental needs. The purpose of the IDP is for clarification of what professional activities are necessary in order to make appropriate progress towards academic goals, and at the same time to identify potential barriers that may impede such progress while there is time to adequately address such progress. A progress summary and plan for the next year to address any concerns and/or areas that need further development is required. The IDP self-assessment packet consists of several components

1. IDP Self-Assessment: Academic progress to include goals and plan for achieving goals. Division chief and mentors will review and provide a plan for mentorship and support based on your self-assessment

2. Mentorship Plan: For the purpose of our program we define three types of mentoring relationships which focus on review of career self-assessment, developing an individual development plan and CV with research/scholarly activity, teaching and clinical activity descriptions outlined. Mentoring relationships are fluid and are multiple and change over time as “mentee” needs evolve. However, both the mentor and the “mentee” have specific roles and obligations to assure that an appropriate mentoring relationship will be developed over time and to clarify when changes in goals or mentorship partnerships are needed.

Career Mentor(s): are responsible for overall career guidance and support for their mentee. The Career Mentor is usually in the mentee's department, should not be their direct supervisor and is assigned (or approved) by the department mentoring facilitator affiliated with the Faculty Mentoring Program. Scheduled meetings take place at least 2-3 times per year.

Research/Creative Activity Mentor(s): are responsible for the overall research and/or scholarly career guidance and support for their mentee. Specifically, the Research/Scholarly Mentor actively participates in the development of the creative and independent research careers of their mentees. The Research/Scholarly Mentor must have expertise in the mentee's area of research or scholarship and often shares resources with the mentee that may include databases, space, funding, and research staff that can facilitate the mentee's research.

Research/Scholarly mentors assist with communication of findings including:

  • oral presentations, writing of abstracts, manuscripts and
  • development of grant applications and
  • securing funding

As important, they provide guidance to their mentees about didactic coursework and training opportunities and help them to identify potential collaborators. Scheduled meetings take place 1-2 times per month or as needed to achieve the mentee's research goals.

Co-Mentors: work with the mentee and their other mentors as part of a mentoring team to provide more specialized or different content area or methodololgical expertise. For example, for a clinical researcher such co0mentors may include a statistician, and/or a laboratory-based scientist. Scheduled meetings occur every 1-3 months.

3. Academic CV in ADVANCE: The CV is the key method for documenting and planning career progression, exhibiting activities and accomplishments in fulfilling the promotion precepts and demonstrates professional skills, academic awards and achievements.

Developing your UCSF Academic CV in ADVANCE

If you are new to ADVANCE please follow the instructions and guidelines on the Academic Affairs link: http://academicaffairs.ucsf.edu/advance/