Mentorship
The WiSA Mentorship Programme facilitate engagement between senior surgeons with experience in the field and junior surgeons/surgical trainees. The WiSA Mentorship Programme is a career development initiative that provides an opportunity for surgeons to learn from one another, influence their work environments, develop their skills and seek/offer guidance as required.
How it works
This Programme creates a WiSA mentor/mentee match. Mentors will be partnered with Mentees for a minimum of one year and requires a time commitment of 1.5 hours per month. WiSA will provide a short induction training on the mentor/mentee process at the start of the Programme.
The mentee needs to contact the mentor to set up a phone or Skype conversation in January 2016. Contact information will be provided by WiSA. We will contact you to ensure that this has occurred.
We expect that each mentor/mentee pair will generate a goal for the year. This goal may include participation in WiSA or a local WiSA chapter, attendance at the COSECSA AGM, participation/attendance in country surgical meetings, or simply monthly discussions on relevant predetermined topics. Some topics that you may wish to discuss include the following:
- Being a Woman in Surgery
- Balancing Work and Life/Family
- Specialty/sub-specialty Training
- Advancing in a Surgical Career
- Networking, Research and Academic collaborations
Each mentor/mentee pair will define, at their discretion, the structure of their interactions- timing, method (email, phone, in person, etc). We will be contacting mentor/mentee pairs to encourage continued interaction.
An online exit survey will be available for mentor/mentee pairs to complete at the end of their year-long experience. This survey will be administered towards the end of November 2016.
After the one year period has expired, participants may wish to continue their mentor/mentee interactions in an informal manner, re-enroll in the mentoring program as part of a new mentor/mentee pairing, or decline any further participation.
benefits of wisa mentorship
Benefits to Mentors
- An opportunity to share your passion with the next generation of female surgeons.
- Provide guidance and support to future female surgeons.
- Serve as resource person/advisor for career development.
- Gain a fresh perspective on surgery.
- Ongoing exposure to latest developments in the world of surgery.
Benefits to Mentees
- Opportunities to create relationships with leading professionals in surgery.
- Chance to discuss to discuss career aspirations.
- Opportunity to obtain personal guidance.
- Discuss challenges with an experienced professional.
- Network within your field to advance your career.
- Discuss and gain insight into career options and paths in surgery.