The evidence-based psychological therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered by mental health professionals who are trained and regulated by a professional standards authority. In recent years, people with OCD have reported consulting unqualified and unregulated coaches. We aimed to explore the experience of people who sought unregulated coaching for OCD. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored the lived experiences of 13 people with OCD who have undertaken sessions with an unqualified individual (referred to as a ‘coach’). Thematic analysis was conducted. There were four coaches rated negatively and one rated positively. Four over-arching themes were identified in the coaches who were rated negatively: (1) Appealing content, (2) Vulnerability, (3) Cult-like experience, and (4) Complex peer relationships. There were some positive experiences of coaching described, such as positive peer support from others receiving coaching in group chats. Many of the experiences documented by people who received OCD coaching were negative. It was highlighted that unqualified coaches may increase vulnerability of people seeking OCD treatment, due to unprofessional conduct. We suggest that this unprofessional conduct may be investigated by a regulator. We suggest that people seeking OCD treatment seek help from qualified professionals and that clinicians are aware of the potential negative effects such coaches can have on people.

Key learning aims

1. (1) To understand the potential risks, vulnerabilities and potential positive aspects associated with unregulated coaching for individuals seeking OCD treatment.

2. (2) To discuss our findings to promote informed decision-making by encouraging individuals with OCD to seek treatment from regulated and qualified mental health professionals.

3. (3) Increase clinician awareness of the potential harms associated with unqualified coaching and equip them to guide patients towards evidence-based treatment options.

Engaging, accessible, evidence-based interventions are needed to support the professional development of research mentors within the clinical and translational sciences. This article reports on the usage and impact of the University of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s online mentor training module, Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring (OPM). Among the 1,124 OPM users in our contemporary evaluation sample (Feb 2019–June 2022), retrospective pre-to-post gains were observed in respondents’ self-rated mentorship skills (11 items), perceptions of the overall quality of mentoring they provide, and mentoring confidence. A high proportion (83%) of users reported making or intending to make changes in their mentoring practices as a result of the training. Example behavior changes included a greater focus on aligning expectations, more proactive attention to the relationship (overall and its distinct phases), increased usage of active communication skills, adoption of tools such as Individual Development Plans, and ongoing self-reflection. Over a 10-year period, 4,011 unique individuals registered for the module, representing over 650 different institutions (a majority being affiliated with past or current Clinical and Translational Science Hubs). OPM has the versatility to be employed as a standalone, asynchronous approach for mentor development or as one curricular component of more comprehensive, multimodal programs.

Interventions to foster inclusive learning environments may benefit college STEMM instructors (NASEM, 2019). We investigated the impact of a social inclusion intervention (SII) on scientific self-efficacy, identity, community values, and persistence intentions in a large and diverse sample of biomedical college instructors (n = 116) in the USA. The results indicated that the SII group developed stronger scientific community values than the control group, and the effect was the strongest for instructors who had initially expressed lower values. From a mentoring perspective, the intervention helps boost feelings of community values, which is linked to increased persistence in STEMM careers.

The importance of mentoring for professional development in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) fields is well established. With the increasing prevalence of team science, mentoring that incorporates team science skills is essential. Here, we describe a novel mentoring program designed to develop technical and relational/interpersonal skills for working in multi-disciplinary team science environments and to develop networks to improve collaboration in multi-disciplinary team science. The Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance Translational Education and Mentoring in Science program is a nine-month program consisting of one-on-one mentoring, peer mentoring groups, mentoring resources, and shared learning experiences. Mentees (fellows) are exposed to a wide range of learning opportunities related to the goals of the program. This multi-institutional effort, in its fifth year, has been well received by participants. To date, 95 faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and research scientists have participated in the program as mentees. Participants indicated that they enjoyed the program, identified new networking opportunities, and would recommend it to others. In addition, fellows reported improved relational, technical, and networking skills over the duration of the program. Mentor ratings were also quite favorable. The multi-institutional nature of the program enriched learning and its unique structure combining traditional one-on-one mentoring with peer learning communities has been beneficial to those participating.

Within the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, we created a foundational and fluid mentor training curriculum to provide competency-based mentor training for faculty. Via our “Developing and Enhancing Mentoring Relationships” mentor workshop series, launched in 2020, we present eight 90-minute workshops each academic year. This series is designed for both training naive participants and previously trained mentors across ranks and tracks and offers both repeating (“required”) and new (“elective”) workshops annually. We implemented a Mentor Training Certificate Program (MTCP) in 2021 to formally recognize faculty who complete a minimum of nine hours of training, consisting of three required and at least three elective training sessions. Over the first four years of the workshop series, 345 unique faculty attended at least one workshop; 46 completed requirements for the MTCP. MTCP participants complete baseline and annual surveys focused on self-assessment of nine mentoring skills (e.g., providing feedback) and frequency of engaging in five recommended mentoring behaviors (e.g., aligning expectations). Scores increased significantly across all skills; participants reported increased frequency of mentoring behaviors and high satisfaction with the program. Our mentor workshop series, offering both repeating and new workshops annually, provides faculty the opportunity for either initial or advanced training.

Racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, first-generation college students, and women are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This lack of equal representation limits creativity and progress in these fields and perpetuates systemic barriers that discourage students from pursuing STEM pathways. This special communication introduces the three-tiered mentorship model employed in the Teen Science Ambassador Program (TSAP), which incorporates senior mentors, near-peer mentors, and high school ambassadors (i.e., mentees) to promote education, hands-on research, and career development in STEM for underrepresented students. We discuss the benefits and challenges of the three-tiered model and offer recommendations for optimizing its effectiveness to enhance mentorship experiences for all participants. Findings from the TSAP program suggest that the three-tiered approach benefited all participants: high school ambassadors gained STEM skills and confidence, near-peer mentors developed leadership and communication abilities, and senior mentors improved mentorship skills. However, the effectiveness of near-peer mentorship is highly dependent on clearly defined roles and structured involvement. Thus, feedback collected from each mentorship tier was used to inform subsequent iterations of the program. The layered mentorship structure fostered a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for retaining individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM.

The Students Participating as Ambassadors for Research in Kentucky (SPARK) program provides novel health equity research training and targeted mentorship for undergraduates, particularly those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral research and workforce. SPARK aims to address inadequate diversity in the medical and scientific research fields by providing comprehensive research mentorship and skill-building. Unlike most existing research training programs that are brief, focus on laboratory research, or are limited to graduate students and junior faculty, SPARK delivers a 16-month intensive behavioral and population health science training, equipping students with needed tools to conceptualize, plan, execute, and analyze their own health equity research study. Trainees complete didactic coursework on health equity, study design and proposal development, data analysis, and ethics. Students receive a stipend and research expenses, and multiple mentors guide them in creating original research projects for which they serve as Principal Investigator. Students disseminate their findings annually at an academic research conference as a capstone. Evaluation data from the first three cohorts suggest SPARK has been pivotal in preparing students for graduate studies and research careers in health equity and behavioral and population health sciences, providing strong support for further investments in similar undergraduate research training models.

This article explores the potential barriers for emerging composers to constructing and maintaining a career in the field of composition in Scotland, viewed through the lens of both those early in their careers and the experience of others who have worked professionally for many years. Thirty-nine composers responded to a survey that highlighted the role of educational mentoring, the need for monetary stability and the challenges faced by female and older emerging composers. The professional lives of current Scottish composers have been seldom studied, and the purpose of this investigation is to explore, inform and provide suggestions for future consideration.

Mentoring is an established method of promoting networking, professional growth and learning, and career development in many health professions(1). For a non-vocational profession such as nutrition with a diverse scope of practice, the impact of mentoring remains unclear. In 2020, the Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA) developed and implemented a mentoring program for registered nutritionists. The individually matched mentoring facilitates a 12-month relationship between nutritionists who opted-in to the program. This qualitative case study research aimed to understand the conceptualisation and development of the NSA mentoring program and explore the experience from the viewpoints of both mentors and mentees in the program. First, a 60-minute focus group was conducted with the NSA program organising committee to explore the initial conceptualisation, objectives of the program, expected outcomes, and related training provided to mentors and mentees. Then, a 34-item questionnaire was sent to 63 participants from the first three program cohorts to collect their demographic information as well as expectations, perception and experience of the mentoring. Twenty-one questionnaire responses from 10 mentors and 11 mentees were collected. Participants were from a range of nutrition professions across NSW, VIC, QLD, and WA. Ten questionnaire participants (four mentors and six mentees) further participated in in-depth interviews to provide narratives of their experience. Thematic analysis was conducted with employment of theory-building structure within the case study(2). Our findings indicated that despite an explicit discussion of mentoring focus on employability skills, e.g. communication, professionalism, advocacy, etc., many mentees perceived mentoring as a gateway to employment and career pathway development. The perceived benefits of mentoring were highly dependent on matching of mentor/mentee, which was complicated by the diversity of practice within the profession, and unstated expectations of individual mentees. Regardless of the perceived quality of their mentoring experience, participants reported that the NSA mentoring program added value to the society’s membership and were supportive of program continuity. In conclusion, the NSA mentoring program was a value-adding strategy to the society membership and it could play an important role in career pathway support into the diverse areas of practice in the nutrition profession. More explicit discussion of expectations between mentors and mentees at the beginning of mentoring could enhance the mentoring experience.

While mentors can learn general strategies for effective mentoring, existing mentorship curricula do not comprehensively address how to support marginalized mentees, including LGBTQIA+ mentees. After identifying best mentoring practices and existing evidence-based curricula, we adapted these to create the Harvard Sexual and Gender Minority Health Mentoring Program. The primary goal was to address the needs of underrepresented health professionals in two overlapping groups: (1) LGBTQIA+ mentees and (2) any mentees focused on LGBTQIA+ health. An inaugural cohort (N = 12) of early-, mid-, and late-career faculty piloted this curriculum in spring 2022 during six 90-minute sessions. We evaluated the program using confidential surveys after each session and at the program’s conclusion as well as with focus groups. Faculty were highly satisfied with the program and reported skill gains and behavioral changes. Our findings suggest this novel curriculum can effectively prepare mentors to support mentees with identities different from their own; the whole curriculum, or parts, could be integrated into other trainings to enhance inclusive mentoring. Our adaptations are also a model for how mentorship curricula can be tailored to a particular focus (i.e., LGBTQIA+ health). Ideally, such mentor trainings can help create more inclusive environments throughout academic medicine.

Clinical research professionals (CRPs) are essential contributors to clinical and translational research endeavors, encompassing roles such as research nurses, research coordinators, data managers, and regulatory affairs specialists. This paper reports on the implementation of a novel training program for the CRPs, the Co-mentoring Circles Program, developed by the University of Florida Health Clinical Research Professionals Consortium, and proposes an initial logic model of CRP workforce development informed by the observations, participant feedback, and the established Translational Workforce Logic Model. The co-mentoring program was delivered through an online didactic curriculum and bi-monthly meetings over nine months, from January to September 2022. The formative evaluation identified the factors that support CRP workforce development through knowledge acquisition and professional relationship building. Finally, this paper proposes a logic model of CRP workforce development, including financial and human inputs, didactic and co-mentoring activities, workforce outputs, outputs related to workforce and clinical research study progress, and resulting impacts of increased national capacity for translational research and increased rate of research translation.