PME Postdoc Mentor Training: Promoting Professional Development

Course Description:  Postdocs are in a unique position in which they are navigating a more complex relationship with their mentor(s) and providing guidance to mentees in their labs/research setting. This program uses a curriculum that reflects this dual role, available from the University of Wisconsin Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, with the goal of improving postdocs’ relationships with their mentors and mentees.

The 8-workshop sequence will be offered virtually over the late Winter and Spring quarters, with meetings held every other Wednesday afternoon from 3 pm – 4:30 pm over Zoom.  The interactive format consists of learning mentoring skills through case studies in small and large group discussions.  All sessions must be attended to receive a completion certificate*.

Session 7: Promoting Professional Development

1. Identify the roles mentors play in the overall professional development of their mentees
2. Develop a strategy for guiding professional development using a written document
3. Initiate and sustain periodic conversations with mentees on professional goals and career development objectives and strategies
4. Engage in open dialogue on balancing the competing demands, needs, and interests of mentors and mentees (e.g., research productivity, coursework, creativity, independence, career preference decisions, non-research activities, personal development, and work-family balance)