Mentoring scheme as a driver of equality, diversity and inclusion in health professions education and research

Mentoring is one of the important modalities that are known to enhance professional development of staff, including those who engage in teaching and learning of Health Professions in Higher Education as well as research of patients-focused subjects. However, while multiple mentoring schemes are available at University level, the impact they bring to the local community of staff is often unclear. With an aim to identify the current status of mentoring within School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, the Athena Swan-led Aspiration and Development Working Group has conducted a reflective study. We analysed benefits of the existing mentoring schemes, as well as challenges met by staff in the early stages of career in the Learning, Teaching and Scholarship and the Research and Teaching tracks. Reflection was also made on the equality, diversity and inclusion of Postgraduate Research students and LGBTQ+ members of the community. We have found that there was a limited uptake despite benefits, and that there were multiple causes for this, which was beyond a lack of time. This has led to a proposal of a new mentoring scheme that focuses on local needs and the process that centres more favourably to the prospective mentees, with an integrated monitoring platform of the scheme, which supports sustainability. We find that, for provision of a meaningful mentoring, careful design and implementation based on the EDI ethos is essential.