TrainingModule

MENTORING ACROSS BORDERS

A Mentorship Program of the WFNS

Program Initiators

Muhammad Raji Mahmud Gail Rosseau

Module Developed by:

Ganesalingam Narenthiran

3

Version 5

With Contributions from • Professor Peter Black

• Dr Bob Harbaugh

• Dr Gail Rosseau

• Dr George Jallo

• Dr Rick Abbott

• Professor Hildo Azevedo-Filho

• Dr Ed Benzel

• Dr John Loeser

• Professor Benedicto Colli

• Professor Jurgen Meixensberger

• Dr Aristotelis Filippidis

• Dr Muhammad Raji Mahmud

• Professor Bernard George

• Dr Jogi Pattisapu

With Contributions from • Professor Alejandra Rabadan

• Dr Ashwini Sharan

• Dr John Ratliff

• Dr Raphael Tamargo

• Dr Lalingam Sekhar

• Mr Nick Tzerakis

• Mrs Jan Joseph

Mentor • What is meant by the term ‘Mentor’? • A parent-like teacher, trusted friend, counselor, tutor

What is mentorship ?

• Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. John Crosby

7

Why be a mentor ? • We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchill • I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou • In the action of great men, others find purpose of their actions ~ Bhagvad Gita

8

Neurosurgery and mentorship • Mentorship has being a distinguished tradition in neurosurgery. • Aspiring neurosurgeons have been directly inspired and guided by leading neurosurgeons through visits, electives, observerships and fellowships.

• Internet with its multi-media capability provides a new avenue for mentor-protégé relationship.

Why now ?

• Advances in the information technology allows ready communication despite geographic separation

10

Existing mentorship programs • AANS Resident Mentoring program: • How do I balance my personal life with the demands of a career in neurosurgery? • What are the pros and cons of an academic versus private practice neurosurgery career? • Should a fellowship be the next step for me after residency? • What are effective ways to network after residency? • Did I make the best decision during that surgical procedure? What's your opinion?

http://www.aans.org/Young%20Neurosurgeons/Residents/Resident%20Membership/Resident%20Mentoring%20Program.aspx

Aims of mentorship • Different perspective • Non-regulatory relationship • Counsel from an expert • Cultural exchange • Sense of fellowship

12

Mentor-protégé relationship – another commitment

For mentor: • More you give, more you get Vs commitments to other responsibilities • Recognition of the contribution by the WFNS

What can a Mentor-protégé relationship cover? • Clinical

• Research • Academia • Leadership • Professional character-building • Civic/extracurricular • Others

Who will be eligible to be a mentor?

• Board certified neurosurgeons of at least 5 years

15

Who can be a protégé?

• Resident • Neurosurgeons within 5 years of completing the residency

16

Avoid conflicts with local educational supervisor • Preference for the mentor and protégé to be in different countries or different states within a country • Reassure the departmental program directors that this program would not in any way supplant the importance of the program director but would rather complement the mentoring done by the individual programs. • The role of the WFNS mentors is to be personal professional-counselors to their protégés.

17

What is the expectation of mentor-protégé relationship

• Utilize a scheme similar to that used by the ‘AANS Resident Mentoring program’

18

Matching the most suitable ‘Mentor-protégé’ • A questionnaire for the mentor: In-order of importance – What can you offer? What do you expect? • A questionnaire for the protégé: In-order of importance – What do you expect? What do you offer? • Establish a list of tutors and a list of young surgeons; the young surgeons may be asked to propose several names from the list of tutors who will then be contacted.

Match ‘offers’ and ‘expectations’

How is the match made? • Prospective mentors and protégé apply to the WFNS. The WFNS makes the ‘match’. • One mentor may have one protégé. However, there should be some flexibility on this. A senior semi-retired neurosurgeon may have more than one protégé

• A protégé can have only one mentor through the WFNS program 20

How long will the mentorprotégé relationship last?

• Can be renewed by mutual consent every two years

21

Role of the WFNS

WFNS mentorship committee •

The WFNS mentorship program would need to be reviewed by a committee

•

To review the progress of the program

•

To ensure that there is equal access to the mentorship program for residents and young neurosurgeons regardless of their locality

•

The purpose of the committee would be to develop the program including, taking into account feedback from both mentors and protégés.

•

To address any unforeseen problems that might arise

•

The committee should have senior neurosurgeons, young neurosurgeons and residents, with the chairman being a senior neurosurgeon

Funding • The WFNS mentorship program would only work efficiently if it is funded to have an administrator. The administrator would play the role of a Coordinator.

Mentor-protégé contact • Naturally, regular contact between the mentor and protégé would be essential for a successful mentorship program. • The contact may be through telephone, e-mail or internet video chat. • However, from time to time a direct contact, i.e. meeting each other in person, is important. This could be while attending conferences or the protégé could spend time with the mentor as in an observership. The young neurosurgeon may also invite the mentor to his/her practice as his/her honoured guest to his/her place of work.

WFNS Mentoring Across Borders .., • Would aptly resonate with the ethos of ‘World Neurosurgery, One World, One vision-building bridges !

Thank you