Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program

The intersection of residency/fellowship and parenthood poses countless challenges. Assistance from a peer with experience in balancing a family with being a trainee can be an invaluable asset to navigate, and succeed, as both a parent and trainee. The UW GME Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program is designed to foster relationships between new and experienced parents to share knowledge, support each other and improve experiences for trainee parents.

Download program PDF

Download program flyer

Eligibility

Mentee

The program is targeted at new parents (via any means, i.e. birth, adoption, fostering, etc) who are current UW residents or fellows. However, any parent who feels they may benefit from a mentor is encouraged to apply and matches will be facilitated based on availability.

Mentor

We welcome mentors with children ages 6 months or above and all training levels (ideally an R2 and above). We are looking for a wide range of experiences on both the clinical and personal spectrum.

Roles & Responsibilities

Shared Responsibilities

Commit to meeting for at least one year (however ongoing relationships are encouraged)
Commit to meeting in-person at least once every 6 months
Commit to checking in at least once per month (in-person, via phone, email or text)
Develop shared expectations for the match:
- Goals of the match
- Expected and comfortable communication frequency including ‘off-limit’ times or dates

Mentee Responsibilities

Fill out pre, mid and post-match survey to improve the mentoring program

Mentor Responsibilities

Initiate primary in-person meeting within 1 month of being matched
Initiate monthly check-ins with mentee and ensure a check-in occurs
Share advice and resources with mentee on aspects of parenthood, training, resources, career, etc.
Fill out pre, mid and post-match surveys to improve the mentoring program
Treat all interactions and discussions in confidence. This program is intended to support parents – there is no bearing on mentee’s professional standing due to their participation, or lack there-of, in this program.

Resources Provided by GME

The GME Office is committed to making this mentorship program a success. The following resources will be provided to mentee/mentor pairs. Please share any suggestions with Dr. Jennifer Best (jabest@uw.edu).

Suggested mentee/mentor relationship guidelines
Suggested discussion topics sent monthly
Yearly social for all mentee/mentor pairs and families
UW specific parenting resources including details on lactation stations, childcare and more is available at: https://hr.uw.edu/child-care/
Contact information for all mentor matches is available on OneDrive and will be shared with matched Mentor/Mentee pairs. This information should be used appropriately to share resources, tips and form supportive relationships.
- Mentors and mentees select the visibility of their information when registering
- To change the visibility of your contact information please email Jenn Johal (jenjohal@uw.edu)