title: Impact of a formal mentoring program on academic promotion of Department of Medicine faculty: a comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a formal mentoring program on time to academic promotion and differences in gender-based outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparisons of time to promotion (i) before and after implementation of a formal mentoring program and (ii) between mentored and non-mentored faculty matched for covariates. Using paired-samples t-testing and mixed repeated measures ANCOVA, we explored the effect of mentor assignment and influence of gender on time to promotion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Promotional data from 1988 to 2010 for 382 faculty members appointed before 2003 were compared with 229 faculty members appointed in 2003 or later. Faculty appointed in 2003 or later were promoted 1.2 years (mean) sooner versus those appointed before 2003 (3.7 [SD = 1.7] vs. 2.5 [SD = 2], p < 0.0001). Regardless of year of appointment, mentor assignment appears to be significantly associated with a reduction in time to promotion versus non-mentored (3.4 [SD = 2.4] vs. 4.4 [SD = 2.6], p = 0.011). Gender effects were statistically insignificant. Post hoc analyses of time to promotion suggested that observed differences are not attributable to temporal effects, but rather assignment to a mentor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mentoring was a powerful predictor of promotion, regardless of the year of appointment and likely benefited both genders equally. University resource allocation in support of mentoring appears to accelerate faculty advancement.
authors.affiliation: St. Michael's Hospital , Canada .
authors.forename: Laurie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lorens
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bandiera
authors.forename: W Conrad
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liles
authors.forename: Liesly
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hyland
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mcdonald-Blumer
authors.forename: Johane P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Allard
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Panisko
authors.forename: E Jenny
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Heathcote
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Levinson
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002322:Career Mobility; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009864:Ontario; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities