Guidelines for Faculty Mentors

Students will execute their project over the 9-week Summer term, committing approximately 30 hours per week. With this in mind, Faculty Mentors are expected to:

1. Create a project that can be completed within 9 weeks and has a clearly defined role for the student that allows them to make an intellectual contribution to the project.
2. Assist the student in writing their Project Proposal (due March 17, 2023) by meeting regularly to review and edit drafts, signing off on the final draft.
3. Provide a brief Faculty Mentor Statement as part of the student’s Project Proposal indicating a plan to regularly meet with the student over the Summer term and a commitment to guiding the student in completing their project.
4. Be available throughout the Summer term to regularly meet with their student (weekly at a minimum) and guide them through the execution of their project.

We also expect that Faculty Mentors will:

• Have experience with the topic at hand.
• Be familiar with the methods the student will use in their project.
• Be enthusiastic about working with medical students
• Develop a supportive environment for scholarship
• Demonstrate professionalism

1. Faculty mentors may be any UWSOM faculty members with an active Affiliate, Acting, Adjunct, Clinical, or Regular faculty appointment; this includes those at the Instructor level. If a Faculty Mentor does not hold a UWSOM appointment, the student will have a Faculty Co-mentor who does hold a UWSOM appointment in the event support is needed from the School of Medicine.
2. A Faculty Mentor may serve as the primary mentor for more than one student; however, each student must have a discrete project of their own. Student project proposals that are identical in any form to another student’s project proposal will not be considered.
3. Post-doctoral fellows, medical fellows, and residents are not eligible to be a research mentor or co-mentor.

The Faculty Co-Mentor serves as a resource to the student. They are not the primary resource for executing the project – students should always use their Faculty Mentor for advising on their work. If a Faculty Co-Mentor is required (see above), the expectations of this role are:

1. The Faculty Co-mentor must check in with the student every 2-4 weeks (or more as needed) to ensure they are making progress toward completing their project at the end of the summer
2. Discuss the student’s work with the Faculty Mentor and student to be able to submit an evaluation.

A 3-page Student Project Proposal is written by the student with the help of their Faculty Mentor. The proposal must clearly define the student’s discrete project for which they are personally responsible. This is especially important for students who will be doing a sub-project within a larger project.

• Note: If IRB or IACUC approval is needed, please ensure this is completed prior to June so the student may immediately start on their work. IRB and IACUC delays could result in the student not being able to complete their scholarly requirement in order to graduate. If this is the case, please ensure an alternative project is available. Students should not be expected to complete the IRB or IACUC application independently.

The proposal is reviewed by a committee headed by the Director of Medical Student Scholarship. If approved, the student may undertake the project to fulfill their III Scholarship Requirement. Acceptance will be based on the quality of the proposal and evidence of appropriate mentor support.