Mentoring

One of the best ways to progress your pharmacology career is to seek support and guidance from people already working in the discipline. This can introduce you to helpful new contacts, and you can learn what they wish they had known when they were starting out.

Finding a mentor

Mentoring schemes give you the opportunity to learn from someone with more experience in your chosen career. Mentors can offer impartial advice, encouragement and support, and can help with your professional development and growth. This may take the form of informal mentoring – like people you meet at conferences or events or through activity with the Society, who can provide guidance from an impartial perspective – or through a formal mentoring scheme.

There are many formal mentoring schemes that you can sign up to. Once you have signed up for a mentoring scheme, you will typically have an initial meeting to find out what you need from a mentor. You will then be matched up with a mentor, who you will meet with on a regular basis.

Types of mentoring schemes

Higher Education Institution (HEI) mentoring schemes

Most HEIs offer their own mentoring schemes. Speak to your department leads and careers advisors for further information on what may be available at your institution. Your colleagues may be able to mentor you on an informal basis.

Society mentoring schemes

These societies offer formal mentoring schemes, which typically pair you with a mentor who is based outside of your institution:

Other schemes

You may be able to find other mentoring schemes offered by other organisations such as Milkround.

You can also reach out to other members for advice through the Society’s online community.

I see mentorship as an important part of career development, not only for developing practical skills such as a particular technique or analysis, but also for expanding your professional network.

- Dr. Mark Soave