Recognizing the Role of Advocates in Career Advancement

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This panel proposes a strategy for advancing a career in medicine at any phase of practice from residency through later career stages. Through an exploration of mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching, participants develop an understanding of how these three aspects can work for them.

Mentorship refers to a more experienced individual offering advice and support to a less experienced individual to promote his or her success. Mentorship can be specific, such as for a time-defined research project, or more long-term, such as that of a program director throughout a resident’s entire residency. The best mentors often serve as more than just role models, frequently sharing personal experiences and advice on succeeding as well as avoiding pitfalls.

Coaching supports personal and professional growth through self-initiated change. The coach-coachee partnership creates self-actualized strategies on the path toward reaching specific goals and career advancement. Through active listening, reflection of the coachee’s verbal expressions, and directed questioning, the coach works with the coachee to transform their thinking and behavior, clarify their ambitions and formulate a self-generated path towards reaching the their goals

Sponsorship is often thought of in more transactional scenarios. Sponsorship involves actions of an influential champion (sponsor) who actively supports and promotes a colleague’s career by offering them opportunities in position, visibility, and recognition.

Beginning in training, a culture of support should be promoted. A study found less than 50% of otolaryngology residencies had formal mentorship programs. Those in underrepresented minority groups have a particular challenge in finding mentors, coaches, and sponsors. Otolaryngology is among the least diverse surgical specialty with only 36% female representation as of 2018. Only 1.7% and 4.1% of otolaryngology full professors identify as Black or Latinx. Mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship offer an opportunity to address diversity in our field by promoting individuals at all levels of training.