Welcome to the SSM Mentoring Scheme!
The SSM mentoring scheme has been running since 2014, with the aim of enhancing support and building relationships among members of society. This scheme offers mentoring for individuals at all stages of their careers within the field of social medicine and population health. All members of the society are eligible both to be mentored and to mentor others.
We have around 50 trained mentors, ranging from postdocs to retired professors, as well as some mentors who work outside of the traditional academic career pathway.
All our mentors have completed training and have volunteered to give their time to support other members of society. Our mentors all have different backgrounds and experiences.
Some of the likely benefits of mentoring include:
- A safe, confidential space in which to reflect on career goals and challenges
- Time and support focused on developing you, the mentee
- A wider perspective from talking to someone based in a different institution
- Guidance on navigating the academic career pathway
- Benchmarking of achievement against REF and other institutional criteria
- Introduction to others and professional networking
- Practical assistance with job applications, research profiles, grant applications
The mentor-mentee matching process
We aim to match mentees with mentors based on shared experiences and the goals of the mentee. We usually match people with a mentor who is one step ahead in the career stage. This means that ECRs will be matched with an MCR mentor and MCRs with an SCR mentor. It is also possible to request a peer mentor, allowing the development of a supportive relationship between two people in the same career stage.
We ask prospective mentees to complete a short form outlining their current position and topics of interest to cover during mentoring. We then match them with the best available mentor, checking agreement with both mentor and mentee before the match is confirmed.
To request a mentor, please click on the button at the bottom of the page. This will take you to the private member’s area of our website where you will be able to access the ‘request a mentor’ form, under the mentoring tab. If you would like to request a specific mentor, please mention this when you complete the mentee form, but this will depend on availability.
New mentors
We are always happy to welcome SSM members to join as new mentors.
Beyond the opportunity to support more junior members of the society, mentors often also benefit from mentoring. Mentoring provides an opportunity to network with more junior researchers from different institutions, bringing a wider perspective on academic life. The practice of mentoring skills can also be beneficial for other professional relationships.
We particularly invite post-docs and mid-career researchers to consider becoming a mentor. All new SSM mentors are provided with training to introduce the SSM mentoring scheme, practice mentoring skills and discuss mentoring methods. There is ongoing support through the mentor network.
If you would like to become an SSM mentor, please follow the button below in order to access the mentoring tab of the private member’s area of our website.