Peer Mentoring Teams

Both Faculty and Postdoc Scholars participate in peer mentoring teams (PMTs) to hone their skills and address real-life challenges. PMTs offer Scholars new viewpoints on research career issues, enabling them to support each other and affirm that they are not alone.

Today’s scientific careers demand a strong network of trusted colleagues, not just independent achievement.

How Peer Mentoring Teams Work

1. Pre-Program

Before the start of the program, the Compass Team creates peer groups of about 5-7 Scholars. We identify individuals in different disciplines at different universities (when possible) but aim to keep everyone in similar time zones to ease scheduling.

2. Introduction

We introduce peer mentoring team members to one another via email a couple of weeks before the program launches and provide instructions on how to get started via the PMT QuickStart Guide . Teams are expected to meet once briefly and communicate via email before the program starts to develop rapport and find a weekly meeting time.

 

3. First Meeting

During the first official meeting, those in the Faculty Track develop a team charter to align expectations and create mutual goals. Those in the Postdoc Track also set aside time during their first meetup to get to know one another, understand each other’s motivations, and create personal and mutual goals. 

4. Weekly Meetups

A full PMT Guidebook provides suggested activities and discussions for weekly meetups. Each week is led by a team member who holds the role of facilitator. Team members also provide each other with feedback on program deliverables.

5. Conclusion

At the conclusion of the training, PMTs review their progress and decide how their PMT will operate and network after the program.

6. On-going

The Compass Team has a designated PMT Coordinator who Scholars can reach out to with any questions or concerns throughout the program. They are there to help Scholars resolve any PMT-specific issues that might emerge.

What Scholars Say About PMTs

Most Scholars are excited to network with others in the program. Scholar feedback shows that PMTs are one of the most impactful Compass components. While some Scholars initially found meeting with new people to be outside their comfort zone, even they ended up feeling that PMTs were a major benefit!

The peer mentoring team was the highlight of the program…my group was fantastic and I learned so much from them. I loved the diversity of perspectives and hearing people disagree productively—those conversations taught me more than I’ve ever gotten from another professional development activity. I also found the reflection questions (both group and individual) very effective, and the materials were very high quality.
– Mary-Francis LaPorte, University of Arizona

Thanks to my peer mentoring team who extended their professional network, I have new collaborators for an international project that needed an additional country site. That connection would not have been possible without the chance to get to know and trust each other through regular meetings that Compass provided.
– A Compass Scholar

Connecting with my peer mentoring team was great—three of us plan to continue meeting. The information on managing conversations, conflicts, and expectations was especially useful, since those topics are rarely discussed or clearly outlined. Now I feel I have tools to handle those aspects of my career in a more productive way.
– Maggie Buttler, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

The peer mentoring team groups provided the opportunity to connect with and continue to seek the support of others going through similar experiences. We support each other and problem-solve together.
– Tanya Paes, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

It was helpful to connect with my peer mentoring team and participate in the discussion boards to see that other postdocs are experiencing the same issues I am. My peer mentoring team has agreed to continue meeting as needed…it gives me an additional support system moving forward.
– Gabby Scher, University of Pennsylvania