Seeking career support as a junior clinical faculty member?
Navigating your career as a junior clinical faculty member can be overwhelming. To help new educators gain insight into clinical and administrative settings, UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Faculty Affairs and UBC CPD deliver the annual Clinical Faculty Mentoring program.
“We are excited to be offering the Clinical Faculty Mentoring program again this year — the program’s seventh cohort. Feedback consistently shows both mentees and mentors appreciate the support and connection to other faculty members, and mentees value advice on their career development goals,” says Allison Macbeth, Education Manager.
In 2024-25, the program supported 41 mentorship pairs from 18 departments and schools in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, reflecting a 17% increase in participation since last year.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with colleagues in this constructive program. It was a privilege to meet and work with an experienced colleague,” shared a mentee.
“It was a nice opportunity to reflect on what I have accomplished in my career that I was able to pass on that knowledge to others. It reinforced my goal of clinical and faculty mentorship,” says a mentor.
Meet professional goals and make lasting connections
The Clinical Faculty Mentoring program offers a flexible schedule with minimum mandatory participation to enhance opportunities for peer support. Key program elements include:
- an orientation for all participants
- seven months of mentoring meetings
- connection to professional development opportunities
After participating in the program this past year, mentees had increased feelings of connectedness to the Faculty of Medicine and improved overall satisfaction in their role as clinical faculty. Additionally, 81% of mentees and 100% of mentors planned to continue their relationship with their partner after the program concluded.
“My mentor was able to put me in contact with people I may not otherwise have had access to... I had the benefit of hearing about a number of very interesting clinical cases,” says a mentee.
Clinical faculty program history
Since launching in 2017, the program has supported 155 mentees across 30 Faculty of Medicine departments and divisions.
Mentoring pairs can work toward professional goals in areas such as:
- career navigation
- teaching skills
- Indigenous cultural awareness
- work-life balance
While the program is built to support junior clinical faculty members, mentors can also enhance their skills through a two-way learning process and connect with professional development training across the faculty.
Looking toward 2025-26
In response to feedback from the 2024-25 cohort, UBC CPD is committed to improving the Clinical Faculty Mentoring program for the upcoming year by providing additional connections, enhanced administrative support, and access to professional development and training opportunities at UBC.
A new online matching tool is also in development, in partnership with the Coaching and Mentoring Program (CAMP).
“It is always satisfying to see junior clinical faculty meet their goals and establish mentoring relationships that oftentimes continue after the program completes,” says Allison. “We look forward to welcoming a new cohort this fall and continuing to support the development of UBC faculty.”
Applications for next year are now open
Make meaningful connections and work toward your professional goals in the next cohort, running from October 2025 to April 2026. Apply by July 15.
Acknowledgements
The Clinical Faculty Mentoring program is delivered in partnership with the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Faculty Affairs office and UBC CPD.