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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Mentoring May Help Address Workforce Shortage

  |  Issue: August 2018  |  

Dr. Nigrovic underscored that mentors can provide an important external perspective for fellow and junior faculty considering a career in research. In addition, he emphasized a very positive side effect of helping connect mentees to mentors: Interinstitutional mentoring relationships help connect mentees to the national rheumatology community.

“We all know that developing a career is difficult, and this is certainly true for those interested in research,” he says. “Programs like AMIGO and CARMA convey the desire of the ACR to be there for all members of the community, and represent a meaningful and highly cost-effective investment in our future as a profession.”

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Mary Beth Nierengarten is a freelance medical journalist based in Minneapolis.

Resources

  1. Battafarano DF, Ditmyer M, Bolster MB, et al. 2015 American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study: Supply and demand projections of adult rheumatology workforce (2015–2030). Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Apr;70(4):617–626.
  2. Moorthy LN, Muscal E, Riebschleger M, et al. Efficacy of an interinstitutional mentoring program within pediatric rheumatology. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016 May;68(5):645–651.
  3. Ogdie A, Sparks JA, Angeles-Han ST, et al. Barriers and facilitators of mentoring for trainees and early career investigators in rheumatology research: Current state, identification of needs, and road map to an inter-institutional adult rheumatology mentoring program. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Mar;70(3):445–453.

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