Many women’s health clinicians have an interest in initiating research to answer questions that
remain unanswered in the literature. However, those with minimal,
or no, training in research methods are often intimidated by the
process. The mentoring program was developed to provide guidance
to women’s health physical therapists that believe they
have a research question and want to collect data to pursue an
answer.
In this program, an inexperienced researcher
(mentee) is matched with someone who has research experience
(mentor). The mentor will provide guidance, encouragement,
advice, and constructive criticism to the mentee.
Following is a portion of the letter that will be sent
to each mentee:
“I want to take this opportunity to outline how I envision
the mentor/mentee relationship to work. A mentor is an individual
who has a significant amount of experience in her/his discipline
and whose goal is to be a resource or a sounding board for selected
issues. In this particular program it is expected that this
one-on-one relationship will afford discussion of research ideas
and methodologies. I also want to set some guidelines that I
hope will facilitate the relationship.
Guidelines for mentees:
1. You will initiate the contact with an e-mail message.
2. You must not expect a mentor to spend unlimited amounts of
time with you. Please remember that mentors also have full time
positions and other commitments. Indeed, they may be involved
in their own research agenda (data collection, writing etc.)
3. It is appropriate that you present your ideas to them in order
to receive advice on methodology. However, it is not appropriate
for them to write portions of your grant proposal, function as
the statistician, provide the reference material for your research.
If this is what you need, I would suggest that you offer the person
a paid consultant position in your grant proposal.
4. If you would like your mentor to read material you have written,
please sent the material well ahead of any deadlines you may have.
Please be mindful and considerate of your mentor’s time.
5. You should respond as promptly as possible to your mentor’s
communications.”
Following is a portion of the letter that is sent to
each mentor:
Guidelines for Mentors:
1. Be accessible and respond as promptly as possible to mentees
communications. However, please do not hesitate to tell your mentee
when she is asking too much of you.
2. You are not expected to spend unlimited amounts of time with
your mentee. You are not expected to write portions of grant proposals,
to function as the statistician, or provide the reference material
for a grant proposal. If you want to do this, it is your choice.
However, if the person is writing a grant proposal, it is appropriate
to inquire about payment as a research consultant.
3. The functions of a mentor include: 1) providing thoughtful
and honest constructive feedback of the issues presented by the
mentee, 2) assist a mentee in focusing her idea into a feasible
and worthwhile project, 3) suggesting resources for her to seek
out to enhance her work.”
If you are interested in participating in this project
as a mentee, or as a mentor, please download the appropriate form
and submit it to me as an attachment to an e-mail message, or
send it directly to the Director
of Research.
Become a Mentor Application
Serve as a Mentee Application |
Certification/CAPP 
