Formal Mentoring in Athletic Training Higher Education: Perspectives from Participants of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Foundation Mentor Program

Context: Formal mentoring programs can help to socialize new faculty members in higher education and orient them to faculty life. Organizations may implement formal mentoring programs to create connections between professionals, and formal mentoring is occurring in athletic training. Objective: To explore the experiences of athletic training faculty as they participate in a formal mentoring program. Design: Qualitative phenomenology. Setting: Higher education institutions. Patients or Other Participants: Ten members of the 2015 National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Foundation Mentor Program, 6 mentees and 4 mentors. Mentees: 2 male and 4 female with an average of 3 years (±4; range, 1–12) in their current position. Mentors: 2 male and 2 female with an average of 10 years (±3; range, 6–12) of experience in their current positions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants completed 1 telephone interview prior to starting the NATA Mentor Program and completed 1 telephone interview upon completion of the mentor program. Participants also completed 3 online structured journals at 3-month increments while participating in the program. Two investigators independently analyzed data with a phenomenological approach, and a third investigator reviewed findings as a peer reviewer. Trustworthiness was addressed with member checking, piloting, and peer review of the interview guides, and multiple analyst triangulation. Results: Mentors completed the program as a way to stimulate collaboration and give back to the athletic training profession. Mentees sought out the program as a means to gain support in their research endeavors and to stimulate networking opportunities. Conclusions: The NATA Foundation Mentor Program offers a mutually beneficial experience for mentors and mentees, and participants were satisfied with their experiences. Mentee participants recognized the program gave them a chance to gain an external perspective and advance their research agendas, while mentors learned from their mentees and were able to use the program as a means to gain professional service.