AMSA Gender Equity Women in Leadership Mentoring Program

Name of the activity: AMSA Gender Equity Women in Leadership Mentoring Program

Country/NMO: Australia (AMSA)

Program: Ethics & Human Rights in Health

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Capacity Building (Training or Workshop). Teaching and develop knowledge, skills and techniques in a particular field. While training can have any form, workshops are more formal and also include exchange of information between participants.

General description:

This is a near-peer mentoring program for female-identifying Australian medical students aimed to build capacity and encourage interested members to apply for leadership positions they otherwise wouldn’t have considered. Women sign up as either mentors or mentees, and are matched with each other based on interests and physical location. The program then provides information, webinars, and support to the mentors/mentees for a period of 4 months, including an interactive facebook page and opportunities to meet as a group as well as individually.

Focus area:

Human Rights for Medical Professionals in daily clinical settings

Problem statement:

It is undeniable that women face gender discrimination, and that women’s rights are ultimately human rights. There are specific gender disparities present in the study of Medicine, especially in the field of medical leadership, and these begin early – with females constituting just over half of all medical graduates in Australia, but not proportionately filling positions of leadership within and beyond medical school. Early near-peer mentoring for female medical students may be a solution.

Target groups:

Medical students, Other Students, Doctors, Women, LGBTQIA+ community

Beneficiaries:

General population, Medical students, Healthcare Students, Other Students, Doctors, Other health professionals, Women, People with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ community

Objectives and indicators of success:

To increase the representation of women in leadership positions in medical school and beyond

To build capacity in female medical students to allow them equal opportunity to apply for positions – measured by the number of students enrolled in the mentoring program and the number of students subsequently applying for leadership positions

To provide formal and informal mentoring for female medical students to allow a space for networking

Methodology:

Advertise mentoring program for senior and junior mentors

Collect and match mentors/mentees based on state and interests – this requires 4 students to be ‘matchers’, and match based on nearest capital city, then take charge of that group of students for the duration of the program

Provide ongoing resources and support for women in the program

Evaluate and assess further support for women in the program

Plans for evaluation:

Quarterly evaluation survey to assess needs of those enrolled in the mentoring program, how the program is faring, and other areas for improvement