Mentoring Program Overview
We recognize how crucial mentoring (and coaching and sponsoring!) are to professional development, career satisfaction, wellness, and team development. Our mentoring program includes one-on-one mentor pairing with a pediatric neurology faculty member, peer mentoring from more senior residents, and group mentoring with a senior faculty person. This is in addition to meetings with the program director and associate program director, as well as mentors you have for projects and scholarly work.
Peer Mentorship Program
Each incoming intern will be assigned a resident "family" consisting of a resident from each level of training. This is meant to provide a close connection to our pediatric neurology team for residents still in their general pediatrics training as well as provide someone to turn to regarding any questions or concerns they may have. As you progress, you will in turn help trainees more junior in their training. Peer mentoring families are also paired with a senior faculty member, and they all get together three to four times per year for group mentoring and career advice. Last but not least, this peer mentoring family is also who you will be in your resident continuity clinic with every week – even more opportunity to learn from and grow with each other!
Faculty Mentors
Right as you come in as an intern, you have mentorship from pediatric neurology! Our interns and second-years are paired with our Program Director and Associate Program Director, meeting twice a year one-on-one and as a group in the Spring. After taking a few months to get settled into the first year of the neurology part of residency, each trainee picks a faculty mentor that they will meet with at least semi-annually to develop and continue to evolve their individualized learning plans, plan their projects and elective rotations, and to work on any other goals they have. Most residents utilize multiple mentors throughout their training – our faculty love working with our trainees! Additionally, our Program Director and Associate Program Director also meet with each resident at least semi-annually to review their progress and to provide support for exploring opportunities and building experiences to help discern, and then achieve, the faculty position they desire.
Other Support
Memberships to the Child Neurology Society and the American Academy of Neurology are paid for, which includes a subscription to Continuum, a high-quality AAN education journal. Protected time and a stiped are provided for our fourth- and fifth-year residents to attend the Child Neurology Society annual meeting, with additional support and ample schedule flexibility to attend other national meetings to present their scholarly work. Our GME office provides laptop computers to each resident, and we provide a yearly stipend for education materials. Lunch is provided daily, and meal money for night float and on call shifts is also provided. Parking in the adjacent parking garage is provided, and this garage is connected to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Please visit the GME Office website for an exhaustive review of all of the housestaff support available, to include the extensive benefits package.