title: Long-term follow-up of a facilitated peer mentoring program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mentoring plays an important role in career success of academic medical faculty. New mentoring models such as peer mentoring have emerged.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the long-term impact of a facilitated peer mentoring program on academic achievements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women faculty at the instructor or assistant professor rank were recruited to voluntarily participate in a facilitated peer mentoring program. Recruitment occurred over 3.8 years between 2005 and 2009. A 26-item questionnaire to assess academic skill, career satisfaction, and self-efficacy was administered before program participation and again with seven additional questions in 2011. Curriculum vitae were reviewed retrospectively to tally peer-reviewed publications, other academic activities, and promotions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants had long-term improvement in their perceived mastery of academic skills. Peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, abstracts, posters, and other academic activities increased when activities before the program were compared to those in the five years after program enrollment. At follow-up, participants reported positive perceptions of the program and 44% continued to work with their original peer mentor groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Involvement in the facilitated peer mentoring program was associated with increased skills and academic activities for most participants. Future studies are needed to assess its applicability and success among various demographic groups in academic medicine.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic , USA.
authors.forename: Anita P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Janis E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Marcia G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Salma I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Julia A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Files
mesh_terms: D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008611:Mentors; D010379:Peer Group; D011361:Professional Competence; D020377:Self Efficacy