Mentoring toolkit

Mentoring benefits mentees, mentors, and the organisations they work for.

It contributes to improved performance, career success, higher self-esteem, and job satisfaction for mentees. It improves performance and job satisfaction for mentors, and it improves staff retention and morale. As a consequence, it may also improve patient safety in healthcare organisations.

We promote mentoring in Good medical practice as part of continuous professional development and good leadership practices. We also recognise its potential to help reduce the attainment gap.

This toolkit has been developed by us in collaboration with stakeholders to help medical education and training organisations set up and run mentoring schemes for the benefit of all.

What is known about access to mentoring?

The national training survey data shows mentoring currently being taken up by around half of trainees. The majority of this mentoring is informal (mentoring organised individually by the participants, rather than through a formal scheme).

There is also variation in the proportion of those involved in mentoring between trainees of different backgrounds, regions, and specialties.

Our research has shown that trainees from ethnic minority backgrounds report more barriers accessing mentoring versus trainees from other backgrounds, particularly in accessing informal mentoring.

Resources to help organisations set up or maintain formal mentoring schemes

Formal mentoring schemes are likely to be more accessible for all trainees where they are being offered. We have worked with different mentoring scheme organisers to develop an understanding of the common issues, barriers, and enablers when setting these up.

This toolkit brings this understanding together and is provided to promote the provision and uptake of formal mentoring schemes across medical education and training. 

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact us via email at fairtrainingcultures@gmc-uk.org.