title: Training mentors of clinical and translational research scholars: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a structured mentoring curriculum improves research mentoring skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) at 16 academic health centers (June 2010 to July 2011). Faculty mentors of trainees who were conducting clinical/translational research ≥50% of the time were eligible. The intervention was an eight-hour, case-based curriculum focused on six mentoring competencies. The primary outcome was the change in mentors' self-reported pretest to posttest composite scores on the Mentoring Competency Assessment (MCA). Secondary outcomes included changes in the following: mentors' awareness as measured by their self-reported retrospective change in MCA scores, mentees' ratings of their mentors' competency as measured by MCA scores, and mentoring behaviors as reported by mentors and their mentees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 283 mentor-mentee pairs were enrolled: 144 mentors were randomized to the intervention; 139 to the control condition. Self-reported pre-/posttest change in MCA composite scores was higher for mentors in the intervention group compared with controls (P < .001). Retrospective changes in MCA composite scores between the two groups were even greater, and extended to all six subscale scores (P < .001). More intervention-group mentors reported changes in their mentoring practices than control mentors (P < .001). Mentees working with intervention-group mentors reported larger changes in retrospective MCA pre-/posttest scores (P = .003) and more changes in their mentors' behavior (P = .002) than those paired with control mentors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This RCT demonstrates that a competency-based research mentor training program can improve mentors' skills.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Pfund is researcher, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research and Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Ms. House is research project director, Research Education and Career Development, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Asquith is administrative director, Research Education and Career Development, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Fleming is interim chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine, and professor, Family and Community Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Buhr is associate scientist, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Burnham is associate professor, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado. Dr. Gilmore is associate administrator, Education, Preventive and Community Dentistry, Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Dr. Huskins is professor, Department of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. McGee is professor of medical education and faculty development and associate dean for faculty recruitment and professional development, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Schurr is assistant researcher, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Shapiro is professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Epidemiology, and Investigative Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Ms. Spencer is research specialist, Research Education and Career Development, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Sorkness is professor, School of Pharmacy and School of Medic
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pfund
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: House
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asquith
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Buhr
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Burnham
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Eichenberger Gilmore
authors.forename: W Charles
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Huskins
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McGee
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schurr
authors.forename: Eugene D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: Kimberly C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sorkness
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors / Q000193:education*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011361:Professional Competence; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000193:education*