Frequently Asked Questions for Mentors:
What are the requirements for becoming a mentor?
WMIS mentors are members of the society in good standing and are selected by invitation of the WMIS Leadership. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Rosemery Membreno (rmembreno@wmis.org)
What is the time commitment?
Ultimately, this will be decided by you and your mentee. Ideally, mentors should plan to communicate with their mentees a minimum of once per month for the 6-month period April – September 2020.
What is my role as a mentor?
WMIS mentors are valuable resources to emerging molecular imaging professionals. As a mentor, you are expected to share your knowledge and professional experiences with your mentees, try to answer questions they may have about the field and look for ways to offer personalized learning experiences for your mentees.
What should I be prepared to discuss with my mentee?
As a mentor, you should provide guidance that will ultimately strengthen the career of your mentee. You may want to discuss:
- things you wish you’d known when you were starting in the field
- work-life balance practices
- valuable tips you received from your own mentor
- strategies on professionalism (interviewing tips, resume building, etc.)
- mistakes you’ve made during your career and what you learned from them
How will the mentoring meetings work?
Each mentor will be matched with 2-3 mentees. The communication platform will be through the Qooper mentoring system which allows for scheduling meetings and video conferences through your mobile phone or through the web. An invitation code to access the mentoring app will be sent to you at the start of the program.
How do we schedule the meetings with the mentees?
It is a good idea to schedule the dates for the next five meetings at the first meeting. This way, your team will get a commitment upfront and reserve the meetings on their schedules. The Qooper app will allow you to set the meetings at your discretion using the meeting scheduler module.
What if I have to reschedule a meeting?
Balancing work, school, social experiences and relationships can be challenging. Remember to be respectful of your mentee’s time. If you need to reschedule a meeting for any reason, be sure to communicate this to your mentee in a timely manner. You should expect the same treatment from your mentee!
What could we do to prepare for the mentoring meetings?
By setting goals and planning for the agenda. We suggest asking each of your mentees to prepare their goals and discussion points a few days before the meeting, this will help you to facilitate the discussions and interaction. Several Learning resources are provided in the Qooper Learning Library and a suggested checklist and meeting framework can be found here.
Am I still able to participate in the WMIS Mentor Network if I will not be attending WMIC 2020 for the closing reception?
Yes, the closing event is a way for our global mentors and mentees to come together for a meet-and-greet in person. We highly encourage you to attend, but it is not mandatory.