Thank you for choosing to take part in this mentorship pilot as a mentee. The British Geriatric Society are introducing a mentorship scheme to encourage and support those who want to choose geriatric medicine. This questionnaire will help us match you to a mentor.

BGS’s Mentoring Guide

Geriatric Medicine is an expanding medical speciality, and we have a growing older population with complex needs. There are many medical professionals within the British Geriatrics Society with a variety of interests varying from medical education to leadership. As a result, we would like to encourage and support those who want to choose, or have chosen, geriatrics with this mentorship scheme. 

Aims

1. Facilitate an environment where more senior and experienced professionals can share knowledge with those new in training roles. 
2. Assist medical students and junior doctors in developing a career within Geriatrics
3. Promote a mentor-mentee relationship with a professional focus

Objectives

1. Find and match prospective mentor and mentees with similar interests
2. Encourage mentors and mentees to set out clear aims and objectives in their initial meeting 
3. Allow mentors and mentees to define how regularly they will meet

Mentor – Mentee Relationship

We want to connect senior doctors with junior doctors with similar interests wherever possible

We do not want to define the relationship but rather give some guiding principles:

• There should be a focus on professional matters including matters to do with work-life balance
• There should be no expectation for the mentor to provide pastoral support
• It should be a confidential space 
• In the first meeting, we expect the following to be discussed:
• The mentors and mentees professional career journey
• Common special interests such as medical education, leadership etc.
• How regular the meetings will be – we advise at least every 2 months – and how i.e. in person, online etc. 
• The mentor and mentee to set out what they want from this relationship and what its focus should be 
• The mentee to describe their respective career aspirations and any obstacles preventing them from achieving them

We expect mentors to:

• Gain insight into the mentee’s current professional situation
• Adapt what they can offer to the needs of the mentee
• Advise on how training works and offer information about career progression
• Provide clear, honest and constructive feedback 

We expect mentees to:

• Be clear what the aims and objectives are from this relationship
• Reflect and learn from each meeting
• Be honest and open about matters being discussed
• Not expect pastoral support