For Mentors

For Mentors

Do you want to train health professionals, but are more interested in teaching the practical components, and leaving the book-learning/didactics to others? Whether you’re a university professor wanting to teach a formal course, or a community healthcare provider supervising clinical trainees, have a look at our courses (and their easy instructions for mentors and professors) and consider adopting them for use by your learners (please contact us with any questions).

 

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, or you have been specifically asked to mentor a student for a NextGenU.org course, thank you! Mentoring a student allows you to train future generations of health professionals, ensuring students meet quality and performance standards and can transition successfully into their new role.

Mentor guide and Mentor criteria

Mentor guide and Mentor criteria

We have created an easy to understand and illustrative Mentor guide for you. Please click here to access it. We included Mentor criteria information in the Mentor guide but you can also click here to access it. If you require additional information regarding Mentor criteria, Mentored activities or any process detailed in this guide, please contact us with your questions.

Your role as a NextGenU.org mentor

  • Provide feedback on the student’s written work, or have discussions with the student to improve their understanding of crucial concepts in your field
  • Observe learners as they demonstrate skills (such as taking a patient’s history, performing a procedure, or negotiating follow-up.)
  • Ask questions about the learner’s observations and study.
  • Safely and constructively guide learners as they practice skills.
  • Assess and grade learners at the conclusion of the course using the mentor evaluation tool provided for your use. 

 Important notes for mentors

 

Share learning goals and expectations: Discuss expectations and learning goals at the outset of the mentorship, to clarify what the student already knows, and their interests, knowledge, and any skill gaps that should be addressed during the course.

Give students a chance to practice: After students have observed appropriate techniques with you or your colleagues, give them a chance to practice their new skills in a safe way, under appropriate supervision..

Provide feedback: A brief, written final evaluation is required of all mentors. Ongoing feedback throughout the course will vary greatly by course. For those in a clinical setting, you and your student should have informal review sessions during or just after activities, and/or at the end of the work day or week to identify the student’s strengths and challenges, and to provide direction for appropriate change.

Verbalize the decision-making process: Try to verbalize the ‘why’ behind your activities by describing your problem-solving strategies and encouraging the student to work through this process with you. Such behaviors show how integrating and applying concepts (vs. the rote memorization a student may be used to) are essential to successful practice.

The evaluation process: NextGenU.org has created two assessment tools relevant to the mentor and student: one for mentors to evaluate students and the mentoring experience, and the other for students to evaluate the mentoring experience (to allow NextGenU.org to refine our process).

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