IDWeek Mentorship Program

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Mentorship can be a critical segue into the field of ID, giving mentees important insights from experienced ID professionals and offering mentors the satisfaction of supporting a young professional following in their footsteps. This program fosters effective mentor/mentee interactions that incorporate three key elements: professional development, education and a vision for the mentee’s future career.

The 2022 application period for the 2022 IDWeek Mentorship Program will close August 19, 2022.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

for mentees

Our goal is to match each mentor to one mentee (1:1 ratio). The communication platform will be through the Qooper mentoring system, which allows for scheduling meetings and video conferences through your mobile phone or through the web. After you complete your intro survey and the application period closes, you will be matched with a mentor.

Your role as a mentee is to be prepared with three goals for the program and objectives for what you hope to achieve, be eager to learn, be ambitious and absorb the mentor’s and peers’ knowledge.

The initial program will last through IDWeek, but we do have some exciting updates to share on the program after IDWeek. Ideally, mentees should plan to communicate with their mentor and group at least twice before IDWeek.

It is a good idea to schedule the dates for the first few meetings at the first meeting. This way, you and your mentor will get a commitment up front and reserve the meetings on your schedules. The Qooper app will allow you to set the meetings at your discretion using the meeting scheduler module.

Balancing work, school, social experiences and relationships can be challenging. Remember to be respectful of your mentor’s time. If you need to reschedule a meeting for any reason, be sure to communicate this to your mentor in a timely manner. You should expect the same treatment from your mentor!

Identify questions in advance of your meetings to ensure two-way communication. Identify topics relevant to your career stage and upcoming career goals. Some examples for discussion are how to approach salary negotiations, resume building, dealing with conflicts, career transitions and networking.

IDSA Foundation will try to match our mentee applicants by the preferences stated in their application. We will review goals and objectives, and based on the Qooper algorithm, we will match the best possible mentor and mentees from our pool of candidates.

We do our best to match mentees and mentors based on the information provided in their applications. Due to the limited number of mentors, we encourage matched mentees and mentors to remain paired. If you have a concern, please contact Emma Wilkenson at ewilkenson@idsafoundation.org.

th mentors and mentees will be required to attend the Mentorship Program luncheon, which will take place during IDWeek. A happy hour will also take place during IDWeek. This is an optional event, but your attendance is strongly encouraged.

Contact the IDSA Foundation via email.

You can apply for the 2022 IDWeek Mentorship program here: https://mentoring.qooper.io/join/b06711.

for mentors

Ultimately, this will be decided by you and your mentee. Ideally, mentors should plan to communicate with their mentees a minimum of two times prior to IDWeek. Once matched to a mentee, a suggested plan will be sent to both you and your mentee and reminders will be sent through Qooper throughout the program.

IDSA Foundation Mentorship Program mentors are valuable resources to emerging ID leaders. As a mentor, you are expected to share your knowledge and professional experiences with your mentees, try to answer questions they may have about the field and look for ways to offer personalized learning experiences.

As a mentor, you should provide guidance that will ultimately strengthen the career of your mentee. You may want to discuss:

  • things you wish you’d known when you were starting in the field
  • work-life balance practices
  • valuable tips you received from your own mentor
  • strategies on professionalism (interviewing tips, resume building, etc.)
  • mistakes you’ve made during your career and what you learned from them

Each mentor will be matched with a mentee (1:1 ratio). The communication platform will be through the Qooper mentoring system, which allows for scheduling meetings and video conferences through your mobile phone or through the web. An invitation code to access the mentoring app will be sent to you at the start of the program.

It is a good idea to schedule the dates for the first two meetings at the first meeting. This way, you and your mentee get a commitment up front and reserve the meetings on your schedules. The Qooper app will allow you to set the meetings at your discretion using the meeting scheduler module.

Balancing work, school, social experiences and relationships can be challenging. Remember to be respectful of your mentee’s time. If you need to reschedule a meeting for any reason, be sure to communicate this to your mentee in a timely manner. You should expect the same treatment from your mentee!

You can prepare by setting goals and planning the agenda. We suggest asking each of your mentees to prepare their goals and discussion points a few days before the meeting, as this will help you to facilitate the discussions and interaction. Several learning resources will be provided in the Qooper Learning Library, and a suggested checklist and meeting framework will also be provided.

Both mentors and mentees will be required to attend the Mentorship Program luncheon, which will take place during IDWeek. A happy hour will also take place during IDWeek. This is an optional event, but your attendance is strongly encouraged.

Back to Fellowships, Grants & Programs >

ELIGIBILITY

Mentees:
  • Applicants must be medical students, residents, PharmD students or PharmD residents in an accredited medical school or residency in the U.S., Mexico or Canada.
  • Preference is given to mentees who have never participated in program.
Mentors:
  • Mentor applicants must be fellows or post ID fellowship to participate as a mentor.
  • Mentors must be registered for the IDWeek to participate in the program.
  • Our Mentorship Program mentors are valuable resources to emerging ID leaders. As a mentor, you are expected to share your knowledge and professional experiences with your mentees, try to answer questions they may have about the field and look for ways to offer personalized learning experiences for your mentee.

key dates

  • April 12, 2022: Application opens for mentors and mentees 
  • August 19, 2022: Application period closes
  • Week of September 2, 2022: Mentee and mentor pairs notified
  • TBD: IDWeek Mentorship Happy Hour
  • October 19, 2022 at 12:00pm ET: IDWeek Mentorship Luncheon
  • October 20, 2022: Post IDWeek Questionnaire due

Make a Gift

Please consider making a contribution to the IDSA Foundation now or during your IDWeek registration. All donations support the activities and expansion of the Mentorship Program. Join us in sharing all the field of ID has to offer and supporting the next generation of ID experts.

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