Mentorship Program: How to Get Involved
AAMI’s mentorship program was launched in 2008 by AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC). The program pairs AAMI members who are looking for guidance in particular interest areas with those who have expertise on topics such as budgeting, dialysis, and equipment maintenance.
The mentors and their protégés generally spend about an hour or two a month meeting in person, over the phone, or via e-mail, but the number and duration of meetings can vary depending on the pairing.
If you are interested in becoming part of this program, as a mentor or protégé, complete this form.
TIPS ON EFFECTIVE MENTORING
The mentors enrolled in the TMC mentorship program offer the following tips on how to provide effective mentoring to managers of medical technology who are new to the field:
- Give consistent and dependable advice, and respond in a timely manner.
- Set guidelines and expectations from the beginning, including how often you will meet or interact.
- Ask the protégé to spell out what he or she wants from you, and what skills he or she wants to develop.
- Encourage your protégé to communicate openly. Ask open-ended and fact-seeking questions, and understand that silence is useful when information is being digested.
- Practice active listening. Don’t dominate the conversation — be an engaged listener and respect what your protégé has to say.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge a protégé to get their attention or drive a point home.
- Ask tough questions to encourage breakthroughs in conversation, such as “If you could change one thing about your relationship with your boss, what would it be?”
- Commit to the relationship. If your current workload is overwhelming and you find it difficult to devote time to the mentorship program, it may be better for you to bow out until a later date.