IACAPAP's Early Career Group Mentorship Program Has Started!
By: Dicle Buyuktaskin, M.D.1, Dina Mahmood, M.D.2
1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey | Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
2 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Australia
Child and adolescent mental health is a field that encompasses theoretical and practical training in clinical work, social work and/or research. Young generations embarking on this journey face numerous challenges in their professional lives and aspire to develop expertise in various areas. It is highly valuable for these early-career professionals, who will eventually lead in child and adolescent mental health, to seek education beyond their local context. Acquiring an international mentor allows them to gain diverse perspectives and enrich their knowledge.
Mentors, in addition to guiding the careers of future leaders, also bring opportunities to forge new connections and collaborations. The mentors in this program dedicate their time to nurturing young professionals in child and adolescent mental health, contributing to their careers with unwavering enthusiasm and a commitment to volunteerism. These mentors truly deserve heartfelt gratitude for taking on this crucial role.
Can mentors benefit from this program for their own careers? Absolutely! This program presents an opportunity for mentors as well. Leveraging their wealth of experience and skills, mentors can engage in collaborative projects with the mentees they guide. Moreover, the characteristics of enthusiastic, passionate, and intelligent young professionals who have applied for this program from different parts of the world can significantly contribute to the project endeavors they undertake.
The Early Career Group Mentorship Program, aligned with its objectives, has been launched for the first time this year. The program, which began in February 2024, will conclude in October 2024. As per its purpose, five mentors from different regions of the world, each possessing unique expertise and interests, are participating in this year’s mentorship program. These valuable mentors’ areas of interest can be found at this link: https://iacapap.org/programmes/early-career-group/ecg-mentorship-program.html.
The application of the mentorship program was open for Early Career Group members and the program enrolled 16 mentees from all over the world. During the application process, mentees specified their areas of interest, and they were matched with mentors according to their interests within the program. The matched groups have come together, initiating collaborative work. Topics covered range from social projects and research endeavors to clinical cases and international education and job opportunities.
In summary, the commencement of this program has provided a significant opportunity for shaping the careers of future leaders in child and adolescent mental health. Mentees, who have established crucial connections and benefited from their mentors’ expertise, will stride confidently toward their goals. Meanwhile, mentors, witnessing the progress of their mentees throughout the program, will find fulfillment in passing down their experiences to the next generation. We hope to share success stories that emerge from this program in our future articles.
