Mentorship, Feedback & Coaching

In this episode, Dr. Carrie Francis joins Dr. Gopi Shah and Dr. Ashley Agan to discuss her philosophy of mentoring and her goal of fostering diversity and inclusion within the field of otolaryngology.

Dr. Francis begins by defining “mentoring” and “coaching,” noting that mentorship stems from specific expertise in a topic, but coaching can offer more general guidance. The roles are not mutually exclusive, and both can help learners in their career path. She emphasizes that mentors should encourage learners to set personal goals, which can be difficult in medicine, a field where milestones are often externally determined by institutions. The doctors weigh the differences between organic and assigned mentoring relationships; however, both require constant reflection and evaluation to serve the needs of both parties.

Next, Dr. Francis describes the art of giving feedback. While summative feedback is helpful at the end of a period, timely feedback helps the learner adjust their behaviors sooner. She encourages mentors to plan appropriate times and places to give feedback effectively and respectfully.

Finally, the doctors discuss diversity and inclusivity challenges in our field and ways that residency programs can capture individuals from the “leaky pipeline.” This starts with departments’ commitment to defining their values and conducting holistic evaluations of applicants.