Near Peer Mentoring

In this podcast Rob Pearlman and Sonia Chanchlani chat about the benefits and challenges of, and evidence for near peer mentoring.

 

Summary Writer:  Jane Ripley

Script Writer:  Alice Sun

Editor:  Evangelie Polyzos

Interviewees:  Sonia Chanchlani and Rob Pearlman

Interviewer:  Jules Willcocks

 

About Dr Rob Pearlman

Rob Pearlman taught himself to code during internship and built MedApp, his response to the inefficiencies that a Junior Doctor experiences whilst rotating through different hospitals and terms. Since launching MedApp in 2015, the platform is now deployed in 50 public and private hospitals across Australia, New Zealand, UK and Canada with 22,000 clinicians using it to access site-specific hospital information. Rob is passionate about health tech and improving Doctor mental health. Outside of MedApp, Rob continues to regularly assist in theatres, and enjoys cycling, swimming and Sci-fi.

 

About Dr Sonia Chanchlani

Balancing clinical forensic medicine and training with the Royal College of Medical Administrators across Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, Sonia Chanchlani completed a dual Masters in Health Management and Public Health alongside research into interventions to promote clinician wellbeing. Advocating for junior doctors and enabling a safe working environment led to her being appointed as the Director of Clinical Training at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital prior to her current role as the Chief Medical Officer at MedApp working closely with organisations to ensure governance, clinician engagement, and wellbeing are prioritised.

Peer Mentoring

With Dr Rob Pearlman, Founder of MedApp and Dr Sonia Chanchlani Chief Medical Officer of MedApp, Australia

 

In this podcast, we discuss the benefits and challenges of, and evidence for near peer mentoring. We look at the components and barriers to setting up a mentoring program at your hospital, and how this may address systemic challenges for junior doctors. Finally, we discuss the benefits of finding, and becoming a mentor at any stage of your training.

  • Peer mentoring is mentoring between clinicians of the same age or stage
  • One mentor has more experience than the other in a particular area and can provide knowledge to their peer
  • Fulfils need for knowledge sharing at many levels and can be either formal and informal
  • Large gaps in experience and knowledge level can be intimidating
  • Near peer mentoring is much better received
  • Organisational and environmental problems contribute to stress of junior doctors in the workplace
  • Limited qualitative research done before on the value of peer mentoring for the psychosocial wellbeing of junior doctors in Australia
  • Peer-led mentoring led to a positive impact on stress levels, morale, job satisfaction, psychosocial wellbeing
  • Leads to additional supports and builds a sense of community
  • Good leadership and governance with willing participants
  • Formal framework and structure with clear support and escalation strategies
  • Evaluation and improvement of the program, especially around participant satisfaction
  • Data collection can be challenging and it is important to have regular meetings
  • Difficulty in quality data collection and assessment of efficacy
  • Participants opt in or opt out
  • Matching junior doctors with a peer mentor – gender, career aspirations
  • Successful for all levels – interns, registrars, consultants
  • Training of mentors can be challenging
  • Funding the peer mentoring structure and providing evidence-based outcomes
  • COVID-19 has caused disruption to rostering, medical training in general, and there is a greater need for community building
  • Necessary to provide engagement and opportunity for people to connect
  • It may take 6-12months to set up a successful peer mentoring program
  • MedApp – starter packs including matching process and templates
  • It is important to provide a safe space to debrief
  • The importance of oversight and possibility for escalation to change the system
  • Conflict of interest for supervisors to be mentors
  • Ask! You may not need a formal program
  • Important to have rapport with your mentor – choose someone you feel comfortable speaking to
  • Choose a mentor from a different field, craft group or industry
  • A mentor needs to set expectations, boundaries, and maintain confidentiality
  • Develop your coaching skills, particularly try not to give advice to the mentee
  • Your mentee will know what is best for them, let them work it out for themselves
  • As a mentor, it doesn’t matter what level of training your mentor is at
  • There is no set framework for teaching leadership skills in the medical framework
  • It is impossible to progress up the medical hierarchy without taking on a managerial and leadership role
  • This doesn’t mean that leadership roles are for everyone!
  • Mentoring fosters personal growth
  • It allows you to learn about yourself and others
  • Mentoring helps build non-technical skills to improve your clinical practice
  • Be proactive about your wellbeing and personal health
  • Take the initiative if you want to start a mentoring program
  • Look for gaps in your organisation and be the change
  • Look for resources on MedApp or get in touch with onthewards

 

 

 

 

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Tags: #coaching,#health and wellbeing,#junior doctors,#leadership,#management,#medical training,#mental health,#mentoring,#peer mentoring,#wellbeing,#workplace culture

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