Mentorship

Postdoc Peer Mentorship Program (PPMP)

The Postdoc Peer Mentorship Program (PPMP) aims to provide postdocs at Washington University in St. Louis with an opportunity to develop mentor-mentee relationships between more experienced and newer postdocs. The program is designed to support postdocs in their first or second year by providing one-on-one support and guidance as they acclimate to the University, St. Louis, and their academic role. These relationships are intended to develop confidence and leadership through support (well-being, academic, cultural) and the development of mentorship skills. PPMP Handbook

The 2022 cycle closed on February 1. Contact the PPMP Coordinators Ankan Bhadra (ankan@wustl.edu), Gargi Chatterjee Basu (basugargic@wustl.edu), Eileen Lynch (elynch22@wustl.edu), and Franziska Pohl (franziskapohl@wustl.edu) for additional information.

Resources and Mentoring Awards

Postdocs are in a unique position where they are usually taking on more mentoring responsibility, but also entering a more complex mentored experience. It is imperative to establish productive relationships both with mentors and mentees.

Postdocs and their primary mentor should establish expectations at the very beginning. We also highly recommend that postdocs seek out at least 1 additional mentor to help navigate your personal and professional development. A supportive environment is key to postdoctoral success.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs offers a mentorship training program using an evidence-based curriculum developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research and supported by the National Research Mentoring Network. This program helps postdocs navigate mentor-mentee relationships from both sides and provides a practical framework to develop their own mentoring philosophy. Based on the work of Dr. Beronda Montgomery, we can also offer a workshop on “Building a Mentoring Team”. Contact us for information on these programs.

Here are a few online resources that can help you establish a productive mentor-mentee relationship:

• AAMC Postdoctoral Mentee-Mentor Compact
• NPA Mentoring Plans
• HHMI Making the Right Moves, Chapter 5
• APA Introduction to Mentoring
• The Georgetown Mentor Alignment Assessment

The WashU Postdoc Society selects an Outstanding Postdoc Mentor or Teacher Award from postdoc nominations at the annual symposium every spring.	The postdoc honored with the award for 2019-2020:
Max Staller Postdoc Research Associate, Genetics	2019
Francisco Victorino Postdocs Research Associate, Medicine – Rheumatology	2020