Our mentoring program supports an individualized approach to resident development and pursuit of educational goals. A faculty mentor is assigned a small group of resident mentees from the incoming class, and a relationship is established that lasts all three years – and often longer. Faculty mentors are chosen by program leadership and chief residents as master clinicians and role models.

The mentor’s focus is to provide oversight, general advice and guidance for the resident throughout their development as a general pediatrician. The mentors have broad networks across the institution and, therefore, can help make the connections the resident needs to pursue their goals. In addition to offering their own expertise, mentors can also provide residents with a list of junior faculty members in every subspecialty as well as a list of research contacts for each division. Our program’s goal is to ensure that, by the end of the residency, all of our residents have a team of mentors. The mentoring program focuses on several aspects detailed here.

To complement the mentor program, each “Y” cohort is affiliated with one of the Associate Program Directors. The APDs meet with each resident in their cohort over the course of the year. In addition, Dr. Ronan meets with residents annually to discuss their individual career and professional goals.

Additional opportunities for mentoring

There are other opportunities for mentoring within the residency program at CHOP. Both the Chairman of Pediatrics, Joseph St. Geme, MD, and the Program Director, Jeanine Ronan, MD, MS, MSEd, are excellent sources for mentorship within the Department of Pediatrics. Residents will also have the opportunity to develop ad hoc mentoring relationships with subspecialists, continuity with clinic attendings, and other faculty and community professionals. Long-term, genuine relationships are often initiated during the three-year relationship with primary care attending physicians or while working together on the floor services, in the Emergency Department or the intensive care units.