Visions by WIMIN: Global Mentorship to Retain Underrepresented Trainees

Kimberly J Edwards; Eman Akam; Jenny N Ijoma; Kyeara N Mack; Patricia M R Pereira; Savita Dhanvantari; Hang T Ta; Xiaowei Wang; Karen Alt; Kelly E Henry

doi:10.1007/s11307-022-01716-2

Visions by WIMIN: Global Mentorship to Retain Underrepresented Trainees

Mol Imaging Biol. 2022 Aug;24(4):519-525. doi: 10.1007/s11307-022-01716-2. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Authors

Kimberly J Edwards^#¹, Eman Akam^#², Jenny N Ijoma^#^{3

4}, Kyeara N Mack^#^{5

6}, Patricia M R Pereira^#⁷, Savita Dhanvantari^#⁸, Hang T Ta^#⁹, Xiaowei Wang^#¹⁰, Karen Alt^#¹¹, Kelly E Henry^#¹²

Affiliations

¹ University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
² Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA.
³ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
⁴ Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
⁵ Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
⁶ Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
⁷ Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
⁸ Lawson Health Research Institute & Western University, London, ON, Canada.
⁹ Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
¹⁰ Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
¹¹ Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹² Invicro, LLC, Boston, MA, USA. Kelly.henry89@gmail.com.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Mentorship is a fundamental aspect that contributes to the success of a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), particularly in academia. Research suggests that underrepresented minorities (URMs) often experience less quality mentorship and face barriers to finding successful mentor-mentee relationships. URM trainees in STEM face challenges that are not encountered by their majority peers or mentors, adding another level of complexity to establishing important relationships. Mentors of URM trainees must therefore mentor beyond general scientific training and tailor their mentorship to be more culturally appropriate and inclusive, allowing URM trainees to bring their whole selves to the table and leading to their effective socialization. Herein, we present the perspectives of group leaders and trainees from around the globe to highlight key aspects of creating successful mentor-mentee relationships that are sustainable and productive for both parties.

Keywords: Mentee; Mentor; Mentorship; Trainee; URM.

MeSH terms

Engineering*
Humans
Mentors*
Technology

Grants and funding

P30 CA008748/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States