Modelling mentoring: early lessons from the W.K. Kellogg/ADEA minority dental faculty development program.

In 2004, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) proposed several major strategies to improve the recruitment, retention, and development of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in the dental profession. One of the strategies was the establishment of the ADEA Minority Dental Faculty Development (ADEA MDFD) Program. This report presents key early lessons from the ADEA MDFD program. It also presents results from surveys of ADEA MDFD program directors, grantee mentors, and mentees on the dynamics of their mentoring programs and the important characteristics of successful mentors and mentees. In addition, the report provides a comprehensive program implementation logic model that other schools can use as a guide to establishing their own faculty mentoring programs. Dr. Sinkford is Associate Executive Director and Director of the Center for Equity and Diversity, American Dental Education Association; Dr. West is Program Director, Sinai Urban Health Institute and External Evaluator for the W.K. Kellogg/American Dental Education Association Minority Dental Faculty Development Program grant; Dr. Weaver is former Associate Director of the Center for Educational Policy and Research, American Dental Education Association; and Dr. Valachovic is Executive Director, American Dental Education Association. Direct correspondence and requests for reprints to Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, American Dental Education Association, 1400 K Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005; 202-289-7201 phone; 202-289-7204 fax; [email protected].