Q: Given your intimate involvement, how have you seen the Practice Administrators’ Mentor Program benefit both the mentors and the mentees? Can you provide any specific examples?
A: Mentees are able to connect with seasoned mentors and can ask specific questions about career development and any issues they may be experiencing. Mentors are able to share their experiences and pass along important and valuable lessons learned to mentees. I served as a mentor, even though I did not yet consider myself a qualified candidate. However, I found that I was more equipped than I had realized, and I was able to assist my mentee with many aspects of career development (i.e., resume building, discussions with the C-suite, etc.).
My mentee was a practice coordinator who had only been in hospital medicine for 1 year. She had little experience hiring hospitalists, so this was a major area that we worked on together during our yearlong connection. I introduced her to collaborating with her HR department when posting positions, as well as working with permanent placement agencies. Her service was also undergoing a change in leadership, which can be difficult for any service line to experience. We discussed ways in which she could present important information to the new medical director that would produce a meaningful conversation.
In turn, my mentee introduced me to new online resources and was able to connect me with the manager of her practice, who assisted me with streamlining the payroll structure in my practice. I truly enjoyed my experience developing and participating in the program.
Felicia Steele is SHM’s communications coordinator.
Learn more about how you can benefit from the Practice Administrators’ Mentor program via the SHM website.