Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology at Mount Sinai

However, mentoring in the United States is neither universal nor uniform. For example, in certain institutions, there are dyads versus teams versus committees assigned to mentor students, trainees, and junior faculty. Mentors either are designated or are self-identified by the trainee, and mentorship is often accorded from a distance in relation to gender, ethnicity, and racial matching. Despite these models, less than 20 percent of junior faculty in academic medicine in the United States have mentors. In 2017, the National Summit for Research-Track Directors hosted by the Alliance of Academic Internal Medicine published the best practices for physician-scientists training programs, placing special emphasis on enhancing mentorship.

Flavors of Mentorship 

Mentorship is typically provided in one of three forms––mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship. A mentor helps trainees navigate their career goals. This involves guiding career choices and decisions, either formally or informally. The trainee drives the relationship, with the mentor being reactive and responsive. In contrast, a coach provides guidance toward the development of soft skills and the relationship is driven both by the trainee and the coach to provide developmental feedback outside of the formal process. The sponsor is generally a senior leader with the strong influence to help a trainee obtain high-visibility assignments, promotions, or jobs. The sponsor drives the relationship, advocating for the trainee even behind closed doors, and championing the trainee’s work to other leaders.

Within the Institute, we provide all three types of mentorship. We have coaches who teach trainees, for example, how to write grant applications and navigate funding agencies. Our mentors are available for all career-related questions and provide forthright and candid feedback without hidden agendas. Finally senior members of the Institute act as sponsors to nominate trainees for awards and tell the world that the trainee is among the most skilled and experienced researchers.

Career Development and Mentorship Committee

The Institute is proud to announce the launch of the Career Development and Mentorship Committee, a new initiative led by Research Director Dr. Yelena Ginzburg, alongside Drs. Malaspina, Davies, and Laitman. As the Institute continues to grow and welcome early career investigators into its community, this committee was established to ensure that junior researchers have access to the personalized guidance and support they need to thrive in academic science. Through individual consultations, the committee offers a dedicated space for early career faculty and researchers to reflect on their professional trajectories, explore opportunities for advancement, and receive meaningful mentorship from experienced leaders in the field. Topics may include grant strategy, navigating academic promotion, building a research portfolio, and developing the skills needed to succeed in an evolving research landscape. We encourage all early career investigators to take advantage of this valuable resource as they chart their path forward within the Institute and beyond.

Mount Sinai Academy of Physician Scientists (MAPS)

The Institute is a proud partner of the new Mount Sinai Academy of Physician-Scientists (MAPS). Organized by a distinguished group of Mount Sinai faculty leaders, MAPS is a new interdisciplinary academy empowering physician-scientists, driving discovery, and strengthening the bridge between scientific innovation and clinical care across the Mount Sinai Health System. Bringing together students, fellows, postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and health care professionals, MAPS fosters collaboration across departments and disciplines to support those who pursue both rigorous scientific inquiry and hands-on patient care. Rooted in Mount Sinai's longstanding commitment to translational medicine, MAPS addresses a critical need in academic medicine: ensuring that clinician-researchers have the community, mentorship, and institutional support necessary to thrive at the intersection of the laboratory and the bedside. Through panel discussions, networking events, and cross-disciplinary programming, the academy aims to cultivate the next generation of physician-scientists who will shape the future of medicine.