JEDI Academic Mentorship

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The JAM Council program offers a fellowship that includes a one-year period of mentoring training with extensive coaching, networking and mentoring opportunities aimed at expanding the professional development and retention of a diverse faculty in academic medicine.  The intensive one-year period will be followed by ongoing support and coaching as needed to support scholars in their academic trajectory. Preview Mentee Application or  Preview Mentor Application. 

• Apply as a Mentee 
• Apply as a Mentor

Deadline: March 30, 8:00 AM PST

Note: Acceptance into the JAM Council Program is determined through a competitive selection process in which approximately 30 candidates are chosen annually.

Requirements for Mentee Applicants

• Applicants must have held the rank of assistant professor at DGSOM for at least one year.
• Applicants may self-nominate and must be supported by the departmental leadership (including department chair, department JEDI vice chair or lead, or division chief. Note the JEDI Office will solicite these letters) 
• Applicants will participate in monthly meetings with their assigned mentor, monthly meetings with their mentoring cohort, and quarterly meetings with JAM Council. Applicants will be supported in a scholarly project that helps them develop and advance their career goals. Expected time commitment: approximately 4 hours per month.

Requirements for Mentor Applicants

• Applicants must hold the rank of associate or full professor with faculty appointment at DGSOM.
• Applicants may self-nominate and must be supported by the departmental leadership (including department chair, department JEDI vice chair or lead, or division chief).
• Applicants must commit to support the scholarly projects of the prospective mentees and facilitate the development and advancement their career goals.
• Applicants must have TWO (2) recommendations that address the capability for mentoring and sponsoring career development of junior faculty. One must come from the department chair and the other from a current or former mentee familiar with the mentor’s mentoring track record and/or potential. (note the JEDI office will solicit these letters)
• Applicants should include a list of current or former mentees and current positions.
• Applicants will participate in monthly meetings with their assigned mentee, monthly meetings with their mentoring cohort, and quarterly meetings with JAM Council.  Expected time commitment: approximately 10 hours per week.

2022-23 Program Schedule

Successful applicants will participate in a focused mentor/mentee training institute (2 day, 16-hour curriculum), along with an ongoing mentoring program composed of a combination of individual, small team, and group mentoring during the year. The training curriculum is a collaboration of two existing successful and evidence- based programs, Entering Mentoring and Enhancing Mentoring. The combined curriculum will include didactics, multimedia presentations, breakout sessions, group work and role playing.

*All dates subject to change

About

Overview

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has initiated the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Academic Mentoring (JAM) Council.  The JAM Council is designed to specifically meet the mentoring challenges of scholars with clinical and research backgrounds and careers who have navigated intersectional barriers associated with marginalized and/or underrepresented experiences.

The JAM Council program has been specifically developed for faculty at the assistant professor level who demonstrate potential for careers in academic medicine and health leadership.

JAM Council

Established in 2022, the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Academic Mentoring (JAM) Council is a program composed of a 16-hour curriculum combined with individual, small team, and group mentoring during the year. The training curriculum is a collaboration of two existing successful and evidence- based programs, Entering Mentoring and Enhancing Mentoring.

The combined curricula will include didactics, multimedia presentations, breakout sessions, group work and role playing. The program is designed to specifically meet the mentoring challenges of scholars with clinical and research backgrounds and careers who have navigated intersectional barriers associated underrepresented and/or traditionally marginalized students or trainee groups (URG). The curriculum includes didactics, multimedia presentations, breakout sessions, group work and role playing.

The JAM Council program offers an intensive one-year fellowship of mentoring training combined with extensive coaching, networking, and mentoring opportunities aimed at expanding the professional development and retention of URG faculty in academic medicine.  The JAM Council program has been specially developed for faculty at the assistant professor level who demonstrate potential for careers in academic medicine and health leadership. The goals of JAM include: 

1. Expanding pathway to promotion and career development for faculty with underrepresented and/or traditionally marginalized experiences.
2. Decrease the attrition of faculty with underrepresented and/or traditionally marginalized experiences at DGSOM thereby expanding the diversity of associate and full professors at DGSOM
3. Expand community of mentors and mentees committed to address retention and promotion of faculty with underrepresented and/or traditionally marginalized experiences. 
4. Improve mentorship skills and visibility through an institutional initiative

Acceptance into JAM is determined through an annual competitive selection process in which approximately 30 candidates are chosen each year.

Definitions

• Underrepresented refers to populations that are historically or currently not represented in medicine ways that would be expected, to foster justice, inclusion, and equity.  This can include many different self-identified, identity/background experiences, such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, ability/disability, faith structure, first generation to college, to name just a few. 
• Marginalized refers to populations that historically or currently have been otherized.  This recognizes that there may be inequitable systems in place that disproportionally impact those who have less access and can include some of the same identity/background experiences variables as underrepresented.  As an example, a person who identifies as Asian American may not be underrepresented in medicine, however may have experienced xenophobia.  The data for understanding if people are marginalized typically comes through the social sciences, climate assessment, exit surveys, and opportunities for people to share their lived experiences. 

Questions regarding the JAM Program can be directed to:
Isadora Avendaño
310-825-2253
iavendano@mednet.ucla.edu