title: The Community Mentorship Program: Providing Community-Engagement Opportunities for Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Scientists to Facilitate Research Translation.
abstract: A goal of the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC-CTSI) at the University of Southern California and Children's Hospital Los Angeles is to train early-stage clinical and translational scientists (CTSs) to conduct research that improves the health of diverse communities. This goal aligns well with the Institute of Medicine's recommendations emphasizing community engagement in biomedical research that facilitates research translation. The Community Mentorship Program (CMP), created to complement community-engaged research didactics, matches CTSs with community mentors who help them identify and complete community-engaged experiences that inform their research.
  
  
  
  The CMP was piloted in 2013-2015 by the SC-CTSI Workforce Development and Community Engagement cores. The CMP team matched three CTSs (assistant professors pursuing mentored career development awards) with mentors at community-based organizations (CBOs) aligned with their research interests. Each mentor-mentee pair signed a memorandum of understanding. The CMP team checked in regularly, monitoring progress and addressing challenges in CTSs' completion of their community-engaged experience.
  
  
  
  Each pair completed at least one community-engaged activity informing the CTS's research. In exit interviews, the CTSs and CBO mentors expressed satisfaction with the program and stated that they would continue to work together. The CTSs reported that the program provided opportunities to develop networks outside academia, build trust within the community, and receive feedback and learn from individuals in communities affected by their research.
  
  
  
  The CMP will be expanded to include all eligible early-career CTSs and promoted for use in similar settings outside the SC-CTSI.
authors: C.M. Patino is assistant professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, codirector, Workforce Development Core, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and director of research career development, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. K. Kubicek is assistant director, Community Engagement Core, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and program manager, Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention Research Program, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. M. Robles is community liaison, Community Engagement Core, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. H. Kiger was research navigator, Department of Mental Health, Community Engagement Core, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and is project specialist, Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. J. Dzekov is program administrator, Workforce Development Core, Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors: Cecilia M
authors: CM
authors: Patino
authors: Katrina
authors: K
authors: Kubicek
authors: Marisela
authors: M
authors: Robles
authors: Holly
authors: H
authors: Kiger
authors: Jeanne
authors: J
authors: Dzekov
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008611:Mentors / Q000193:education*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000193:education*