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A Novel Approach to Mentorship in Pediatric Cardiology: A Group for Women

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Abstract

Gender disparities for female physicians in academic medicine are longstanding. Female pediatric cardiologists experience inequities in scholarship opportunities, promotion, leadership positions, and compensation. Mentorship groups have been successfully implemented in other subspecialities with promising results. We created a peer mentorship group for female pediatric cardiologists in the Northeast and completed a needs assessment survey of eligible participants. Our goal was to better understand the current challenges and identify resources to overcome these barriers. Our objectives were to (1) describe the creation of a novel mentorship program for female pediatric cardiologists and trainees in the Northeast United States, and (2) report the results of a formal needs assessment survey of all eligible participants. All female pediatric cardiology fellows and practicing pediatric and adult congenital heart disease specialists from 15 academic centers in New England were invited to join a free group with virtual meetings. A formal needs assessment survey was provided electronically to all eligible members. The vast majority of respondents agreed that the Women in Pediatric Cardiology (WIPC) group is a valuable networking and mentorship experience (90%) and would recommend this group to a colleague (95%). Members have witnessed or experienced inequities in a broad range of settings. Common challenges experienced by respondents include dependent care demands, lack of mentorship, inadequate research support, and inequitable clinical responsibilities. Resources suggested to overcome these barriers include mentorship, sponsorship, transparency in compensation, and physician coaching. Mentorship groups have the potential to address many challenges faced by women in medicine. The WIPC Northeast program provides a forum for community, collaboration, education, and scholarship.

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Funding

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

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Author notes

  1. Kristin Laraja and Laura Mansfield are co-first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Kristin Laraja & Lindsey Simoncini

  2. Department of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Laura Mansfield

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Laura Mansfield

  4. Department of Cardiology, Atrius Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Laura Mansfield

  5. Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Kristin Lombardi & Sara Ford

  6. Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Tiffany Moore Simas

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by KL, LM, and LS. The first draft of the manuscript was written by KL and LM, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This study has been approved by the institutional committee of University of Massachusetts Medical School.

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Laraja, K., Mansfield, L., Lombardi, K. et al. A Novel Approach to Mentorship in Pediatric Cardiology: A Group for Women. Pediatr Cardiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-024-03576-9

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