Consultant mentoring scheme
Become a mentor
We need people with experience and seniority (at least 5-10 years as a consultant) with an interest in personal development. Each mentor will receive free training and learning materials to support their development as mentors. Ongoing support and guidance will be available.
Benefits include:
- The opportunity to enhance your skills in developing others
- The opportunity to reflect and review your experience and offer insight into the learning gained
- Working with the mentee’s issues often leads to invaluable insights into your own working situation
- Intellectual challenge and the satisfaction of helping another develop
- Supporting your revalidation and career development
- Contribution to the development of The Royal College of Radiologists
'I think it really, really helps you to do a very good high quality appraisal, the sorts of things we’ve been learning, not just as a mentor but having this exchange, and relationship with my own mentee, I think it’s been fantastic.'
A mentor from our recent programme
Find a mentor
The scheme aims to provide new consultants, consultants moving into new roles (e.g. arriving from overseas to work in the UK, taking on a training or management role), and final-year trainees with an established mentor. Mentees will receive free training and the RCR will facilitate the initial contact with a mentor.
Benefits include:
- Accessing impartial support and encouragement through a supportive relationship
- Assistance with problem solving
- Improving self-confidence
- Offer professional development
- Encouragement to reflect on practice
'The transition from registrar to consultant is something really stressful, so it’s good to have some sort of support, and it was good that the College has recognised that this is something that should be addressed from the trainees’ point of view.'
Mentee from the recent programme'I could tell it was different to any other sort of mentoring advice, support, supervision, I’d had before. Clearly there are techniques you can learn to really help people.'
Mentee from the recent programme
What to expect
- Both mentors and mentees attend a training session together.
- After the training, you will be offered a match with someone outside your trust/UHB.
- This match lasts for a 12-month period and we suggest six one-hour meetings over this period.
- The RCR Mentoring Team will check in with you throughout the match to offer support and answer any queries.
This programme is only available to full Fellows and members of the RCR. If you have any questions about the mentoring scheme, please contact mentoring@rcr.ac.uk
FAQs
The mentoring programme is designed for full members and Fellows of the RCR who are happy to commit to a 12 month match and who fit one of the following categories:
Mentee: Final-year trainee, newly appointed consultants, or consultants moving into new roles (e.g. arriving from overseas to work in the UK, taking on a training or management role)
Mentor: 5-10 years of experience as a consultant with an interest in personal development
When your registration with the mentoring scheme is confirmed, this means you will be attending a 2-hour online training session, after which you will be offered a match which lasts for 12 months. We suggest meeting for 6 one-hour sessions over the 12 months, but you are welcome to adjust this to suit the particulars of your match.
You will always be matched with someone outside of your own trust/UHB. If you have preferences for your match (e.g. cross-faculty, particular subspecialty, etc.), you are welcome to include these on your application form and where possible we will endeavour to match you accordingly.
This is often the case, however in the case of uneven numbers or specific preferences, we also have a pool of mentors trained at previous sessions who are available and happy to be matched again.
There are many reasons why a match may not be working out; if this is happening, please be in touch with the Mentoring Team so that we may assist and/or rematch you.
If you have gained useful experience through mentoring, you may claim up to 2 CPD points for this (one for reflecting on activities undertaken and one for the impact the activity has had on your professional practice) by completing the reflection and impact templates in your online CPD journal on the RCR Learning hub.
These workshops were previously held in person, and we're delighted that the shift to online workshops necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has been successful. At this point, all 2023 mentoring workshop will be held online.
Our trainer is Alexis Hutson, who has had her own coaching and mentoring practice since 2009 and also worked in the NHS in various roles for 9 years. She has designed and facilitated our mentoring workshops since the pilot program in 2014.
RadReach mentoring scheme
Our RadReach mentoring scheme aims to transform training at an elemental level and offer continued support for final year medical students and/or foundation scheme doctors from a widening participation background.
Get involved
Learn more about our mentoring schemes, Clinical Fellowships and how you can contribute your expertise.
