Mentorship
Welcome to the physician associate (PA) mentorship programme. The programme is intended to support PAs as they navigate through their careers.
This guide explains the roles and expectations of mentors and mentees.
If you have any questions then please contact us at hello@londonphysicianassociate.co.uk. We would recommend completing the HEE Medical Mentoring e-learning module prior to starting, which can be found here.
Documents
Mentorship guidance
Why become a mentor?
Being a PA is a rewarding role however, it is not without its challenges. Being at the forefront of the profession means that you have already been a trailblazer and an ambassador for the role. Mentoring another PA is a great way to share the knowledge and experience that you have accumulated over the years. Not to mention developing another skill and the role will be an asset for your CV.
You may choose to mentor more than one PA at a time. You will be a point of contact for the mentee/mentees for career advice. Ideally, you will work within the same speciality or a similar field if we are unable to provide an exact match. As an experienced PA, you will have contacts within your speciality and will be able to signpost your mentee/mentees to helpful resources. You could also work together to develop governance specific to your speciality. You may also wish to deliver some teaching for the PA/PAs.
This is a great opportunity to network with other PAs working within the same field as you in the region. This is also a chance to share ideas around audits and publications that you and your department have been carrying out. There is also the option to develop working groups for quality improvement projects. We would encourage you to share any exciting work that you collaborate on together perhaps via grand rounds, audit meetings, the poster competition at the National Conference or a presentation at the LAPA Conference. This programme may also allow you to shape the future of your speciality by developing curriculums together to help other PAs who wish to progress further within the field.
Commitment
We ask that you commit to at least one hour per month to the programme. You may choose to meet virtually with your mentee rather than in person. This role is designed to provide support around careers rather than pastoral care. We would recommend that initial contact is made over professional email; if you both feel comfortable at a later date then you may choose to exchange phone numbers.
The initial term will be for 12 months, if however, you develop a good working relationship with your mentee then you may wish to continue after this. The LAPA committee will be on hand to support you if you have any questions.