In AMIA, mentorship is defined as a relationship between two people with the goal of two-way professional and personal development. A successful mentor holistically supports the growth and the goals of the mentee – sharing knowledge, experience, resources, and providing guidance, without necessarily prescribing a set course of action. Mutual, proactive and effective communication pertaining to shared goals, concerns, and feedback provides a healthy basis for mentorship.
For many mentees, and some mentors, this may be the first time they have been involved in a mentorship relationship. To help ensure a good match and to provide advice or other resources as needed to mentors and mentees, there are Mentorship Advisors available throughout the mentorship period.
Mentorship Advisors, either alone or in pairs, work directly with each mentee (fellow) and mentor to provide guidance throughout the mentorship period. The goal of each MA is to match a mentee with a mentor and to serve as support for both throughout the mentorship, ensuring they have the resources they need for their mentorship relationship to flourish.
MAs work to pair mentees with a mentor by reviewing the mentee profile, speaking with the mentee about their mentorship goals, and then matching the mentee with the appropriate mentor. In matching mentors with mentees, the MAs review mentor applications as well as outreach directly to members who may be a good fit for the mentee. Prior to matching, MAs speak with the mentor about the potential mentee(s) and their own goals for the mentorship relationship.
Throughout the mentorship period, MAs check in with their mentors and mentees on a regular basis to discuss how they think the mentorship relationship is progressing, relay any concerns or questions and offer suggestions on the further development of the mentorship program.
AMIA seeks to build mentorship relationships that help guide professionals in navigating the complexities of career advancement, intentionality in choices of career path, professional development, professional profile, skills in communication and connection and advice on how to get involved in the community.