Do you have a mentoring question that you need answered? Each month we will select a question and feature it on our website with advice from a mentor.

Submit your question here.

This month’s Ask a Mentor.

“I have heard about mentoring teams but am not sure what that means. Should I have more than one mentor?”

- JA, Assistant Professor

Dear JA:

Most junior faculty find it useful to have a mentoring team to help support their careers at UCSF. The different mentors on your team each have distinct roles and responsibilities. Through the Faculty Mentoring Program you should have an official “Career Mentor” who is responsible for overall career guidance and support. You should meet with your career mentor at least 2-3 times per year to review your Individual Development Plan and updated CV. Second, a “Scholarly Mentor” is responsible for developing the creative and/or independent research careers of their mentees. Unlike the career mentor, the scholarly mentor must have expertise in the mentee's area of scholarship and help provide resources to support the mentees work. Scheduled meetings generally take place 1-2 times per month. And finally, the Co-Mentor works with the mentee and scholarly mentor to provide specialized expertise, especially around scholarly work.

Good luck with assembling your team; and remember that you can always contact your departmental Mentoring Facilitator to help you find the appropriate mentors.