Blog Viewer

Excellent advice for both guys and gals-having and being a mentor 

In case you haven’t seen the Drug Topics article check it out

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drug-topics/news/women-pharmacy-leadership-roles-grow-through-self-advocacy-mentorship-and-support

 To continue sharing the virtual focus group’s dialog (if you are new see a description and participants at the end)

Have you had a mentor or do you have a mentor? Is that relationship effective in providing a sounding board for self-development? Do you have or have you had a sponsor who "shepherds" your leadership aspirations, making introductions and creating opportunity for your growth and development? Do they actively provide influence to guide your access to development opportunities? If you have never had a mentor or sponsor, why not? 

(10+)   I have had many mentors in the past and some I still keep today.  While a student I had mentors at places I interned or rotated as they helped me decide what to do and path I could take.  Then in residency we could choose our mentors in both of my programs.  At this point I realized that I ended up with more than my one mandatory mentor and had multiple for different areas I was focusing on (career, leadership, professional organization/development).  Now I do have mentors though I found at my position this is hard as a specialist, I am more experienced many of my coworkers.  Now I look to the leaders in my organization and also within ASHP as I have become more active.I have become a mentor within my organization as well.  This has been for both pharmacy students through a coordinated program, though rotations and for residents.  I strive and hope I am being a mentor within the EM practice of pharmacy for my co-workers and within the pharmacy world.  Another are I am passionate about is volunteerism and humanitarian relief and I work to show others in hope that if they are interested I can help them find opportunities to explore their interests in giving back.

(NP)   Mandatory mentorship program in residency is a neat idea, will want to try with our future PGY1s!

 (SP)   I think successful mentorships have some flexibility as to how long to meet as some really good potential mentors are also very busy and may be wary of taking on what could be a time-consuming relationship.  As long as mandatory builds in some flexibility it's good.  It's one reason why we used the word "liaison" for our residency mentee/mentor assignments.  It seemed less daunting for the mentor and in the end it served the same purpose.

 (R)   I feel that the mentorship relationship is so important. I have a few very close mentors (both male and female) in my life each with a variety of experiences. I feel very comfortable being completely transparent with them in our discussions when I am seeking advice. I feel this relationship is crucial to my self-development. To the same point, I have someone who considers me a mentor, even though I am at such an early part of my career. It think this relationship is just as crucial to my development as it is hers.I feel very fortunate that many connections I met during pharmacy school (professors, preceptors, others) always made an effort to be a shepherd for me. When I was on rotation at ASHP, I had shared with many of the staff members that I was interested in Administration. Because of this, during ASHP Policy week last fall, the staff introduced me to many powerful pharmacy leaders, which allowed me to establish myself as strong candidate for the residency process. I have maintained many of those connections over the past year and was most recently able to reconnect at ASHP Leadership. As a student and new practitioner, these "shepherds", along with mentors, among us play a large role creating opportunity for growth. 

 (S)   I have a few mentors for different aspects of life. Some of these mentors are also advocates for me in the profession. This person will not only give me advice, but will sponsor me if I choose to move in a different direction than they suggested. My mentors and advocates have greatly influenced how I see myself as a leader and a pharmacist. They have allowed me reach decisions on my own and have supported me through the process. They have offered me insight into my strengths and weaknesses. I met my mentors through happen-stance, introductions at events or through the workplace. These meetings were not the most important part of our relationship. I had to then pursue these people to develop a relationship and begin the process of mentorship. I had to be a willing mentee before I could accept the right mentor. It took self reflection, trust in my mentor's selflessness, and courage to create and continue to build on these relationships. 

 (SP)   I found my mentor on the ASHP website. He is very insightful. His encouragement is just what I need. He is easy to discuss issues or problems with and nothing is too trivial.

 (SP)   I have had mentors and now serve as a mentor where I work along with University for pharmacist students.  I also have a sponsor and serve as a sponsor.  A great resource to learn more about advisers, mentors, and sponsors is Expect to Win, 10 proven strategies written by Carla Harris.  Carla is a senior banking/finance executive but her insights are universal to many industries.

 (SP)   thanks for the suggestion about work from Carla Harris.

 (10+)   Thanks for the suggestion

 (NP)   During residency, I formally asked one of the managers, to be my mentor.  I think it's hard to ask someone to be your mentor or sponsor, but women are less likely to network or speak highly of themselves, which is a role this individual can take.  This mentorship still exists and I still call  with questions or advice on work or life.  I encourage all women to ask someone to be a mentor to help develop their career.

 (10+)   One of the best aspects of  is all of the mentors/sponsors you meet along the way.  I have had SEVERAL mentors.  The people in this company see the potential that you have and ensure that you get where you need to be.  I had reached out to one of my previous mentors to become my sponsor and I had used this article to start that conversation.  We will be having monthly or bi-monthly meetings.  

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2013/02/19/7-tips-for-making-the-most-of-your-sponsor/

 (10+)   Also, it's important to "Pay It Forward".  

 (S)   Agree !

 (R)   Thanks for sharing this article! I haven't ever asked for a sponsor but it's something I've been thinking about. It's nice to hear how someone else broke the ice and started the conversation.

 (NP)   Coach - Mentor - Sponsor - this is a new concept that I recently discovered and in case someone hasn't already shared, I thought I would start with sharing the definitions I learned about these three: Coach - talks at you Mentor - talks with you Sponsor - talks about you Yes, I have a mentor and she is also a sponsor. She helped mold me professionally during my residency and helped me nab my first job. We stay in very close contact both personally and professionally. I found my mentor a bit by chance, a colleague knew her - while we were in pharmacy school, she was a resident. I started working with her when I was a resident and when I mentioned her to my colleague, he stated " she is the best pharmacist I have ever worked with" and I knew then I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask her to be a mentor.

 (10+)   Thank you for simplifying that.  I like it!!

 (10+)   I have an amazing mentor. Our relationship has been so beneficial (almost essential) in both my professional and personal growth. The though of having a mentor never occurred to me until I went into academia. I never really was aware of the value of one perhaps. I met my mentor on my interview at . We instantly clicked and as they say... the rest was history. I find our relationship more informal. I would bounce ideas off of her when I needed her. More so when I was a junior faculty to see if I was on the right track. I might send her an email before I sent it out asking her if she thought it sounded okay. We also talked a lot about the climate on campus and the pitfalls to avoid. She was very helpful for me to navigate the social ladder.I also started our formal mentoring program at as well with all of our faculty. I see the value of both a formal program and also the conversations my mentor and I have at the spur of the moment when I need her. I almost think to find a mentor you must not be looking too hard. One will click with you when the moment is right. I do know along the way you will have many mentoring moments with many wise people. Those are just as valuable! I think my department chair (not my mentor) is the one who provides me with the most leadership opportunities. She knows my passions and is always finding fruitful opportunities for me to grow and learn. She is one of the many reasons why I love what I do and she has also been a great role model for me.

 (10+)   I do agree with the variation of formal vs informal mentoring.  I think especially earlier on in a career (students, residents, new practitioners) may benefit from a more formal mentor program and the graduating into a more informal setting as they grow and develop their passions and can seek mentors in these areas.  I do like hearing people have found a mentor organically, and I think this is part of the growing process and were a formal or assigned mentor may not have all the advice or experience in each area to fill the role.

 (SP)   Yes, I have had and still do have mentors.  My relationships with my mentors have generally developed organically.  I feel that the relationship that I have with my mentors is effective in helping with my professional and self development.  I don't have a sponsor.

 (S)   Since I came to the US I don't think I found or looked a mentor, which is
pretty unfortunate.

I was just talking to a friend yesterday, who told me that having a mentor in her pharmacy school changed her life around. A mentor tells you how to achieve your professional goals, expose you to the environment you need to be in, introduce you to the right people and most importantly can contain your fears and hopes, and learn so
much.

This is why now even as a P4 student, I am trying to serve as a mentor for new international pharmacy students, because I know how hard it can be to understand what to do in a new country/ schooling system, and how to get to your goals. I am mostly hoping they would learn from my faults.

 (SP)    I would be happy to work with you if I can be of assistance.  You can reach me at

 (NP)   Yes, I have had a mentor and I currently have mentors. They are critical to our success and helping us grow. As my former residency program director stated, it is important to reach for your "stretch goals and a mentor can assist you in getting there. 
I wouldn't say that I have a formal sponsor at the current time for all my professional endeavors. Rather, I have sought out a variety of mentors based on the opportunity I am seeking. A formal sponsor is something that I believe all could benefit from, especially female leaders, as we are attempting to navigate the waters of career advancement, pharmacy leadership, and personal life balance.

 (S)   I feel really grateful to have multiple mentors I can access especially through pharmacy school and my places of work. One of my mentors at school provides me with different people to connect with or networking events to attend for example.

 (R)   I have had various mentors along the way that have helped me by providing that sounding board and helping me to make connections. I would say I have had a very effective female and male mentor, but the male mentor has done a better job at proactively checking in and making sure I'm achieving everything I want both professionally, and personally, than any other female mentor. It may just be by coincidence that this is the case, but the more structured mentoring approach has been more successful and more inherent with the male mentors that I've come across. 

 (S)   HOW I found my mentor: I have more than one mentor - personal and professional. It started in College and at organizational meetings when one of the speakers talked about a topic that resonated with me. At every meeting or conference, my goal was and still is to reach out to at least one person that inspires me or is in the field that I am interested. To me, "networking" is an opportunity to build authentic relationships, not a quick hello and exchange business cards. After the event, I would send them an email with a few questions and do my best to keep in touch once a month/quarterly. I would update on how I am doing and the things I work on as well as some challenges that I had encountered.  I think nowadays it is easier with technology but harder at the same time when we don't take time to create that face-to-face interactions. My advice is to be bold and courageous to go up and say hi to someone. The worst answer you get is a "NO" and the best is a "yes" and a mentor for life.  

 (SP)   I have had many mentors throughout my career but no one that I would consider a sponsor.  I do not currently have a mentor, but I have a deep network of trusted colleagues that I can call on to discuss challenges or bounce ideas around.  This network is incredibly valuable to me. I am currently serving as a mentor to a young woman who is early in her career.  I did not know her before she reached out to me by email and asked if I would consider being her mentor.   She had participated in a session I led at a previous meeting, which prompted her to reach out to me.  I was quite flattered and immediately agreed to do this.  I have found the experience quite enriching.  We meet in person everyone couple of months and check in by phone in the off months.  I was so impressed that she would ask a complete stranger to serve as her mentor and I have shared this as a recommendation with many of my APPE rotation students since.  Most people will be flattered if asked to serve as a mentor and I suspect few would decline. 

 (10+)   I agree I doubt anyone would say no. It is such a compliment to be asked!  The most rewarding part of being a mentor for me has been to watch those who were my mentees turn around and become amazing mentors themselves!

(S)   As passionate students, it's easy to find a mentor. Many professors and pharmacists enjoy encouraging students who have drive, ambition, and determination. Therefore, reach out! Currently, I have three mentors (a resident, a director, and a professor). Each mentor has helped in my personal and professional growth. They've also been resourceful in offering opportunities to ensure professional development into a knowledgeable, strong leader and pharmacist. They also make recommendations of books and conferences that I need to invest in to obtain additional tools for growth. 

(SP)   I don't know that I've had a mentor in the sense of a formal mentee-mentor relationship.  What has been important to me is observing good leaders and what makes them effective.  They often have been colleagues who've often been my advocates.  That's an important role of mentors.  This advocacy has been important in my career.  I've used that experience to advocate for advancement and recognition of other women.

  (R)   I have fantastic mentors. One of them in particular is even more than a mentor. I attended a Women in Leadership webinar last year that ASHP sponsored and moderated by Sharon Murphy Enright and I loved the term, "sponsor" for a mentor who actively helps their menses develop not only by giving them advice and having discussions, but nominates them for committees, recommends them for leadership roles, etc. The webinar discussed that males often have these types of mentors and more females need to start providing this type of active support for each other. As I mentioned in another post, I have had so many opportunities that I otherwise wouldn't have had without the support of my mentors and my sponsor! I am looking forward to the day when I can pay it forward. 

The Women In Pharmacy Leadership Steering Committee conducted two virtual focus groups, which provided a rich commentary that will be presented in several segments.

• The focus group utilized an online bulletin platform (Itracks), which is a 3-day approach for posting questions for participants to answer via “chat”

• Participates could respond anytime (round the clock) convenient for them.
  • Only after they answered each question, could see how others had responded. Then they could post comments to others’ replies and to further questions asked of the moderator.  An effort was made to facilitate conversation among the participants and encourage them to get others’ viewpoints and respond/discuss.
• New questions were posted each day.

• There were a total of 24 women participants selected based on their interests to get involved in this topic. See names at the end. Included were:

• 6 Pharmacy Students (S)
• 4 New Practitioner (NP) (less than 5 years post grad)
• 4 Residents (R)
• 4 Mid-career practitioners (MP) (10+ years post grad)

6 Seasoned Practitioners (SP)

Participants