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W-11: Advantages of a Peer Mentoring Program in Clinical Operations

Poster Presenter

Wen Liu

Principal Scientist
Merck & Co., Inc.
United States

Objectives

Due to the challenging work in planning and conducting clinical trials, a workplace peer mentoring program has been implemented in the Merck Translational Pharmacology Clinical Operations (TPCO) department to continuously and efficiently train new and junior early clinical scientists (ECSs).

Method

The TPCO mentoring program includes enrollment, mentor/mentee matching, setting up a framework and measuring progress as they learn. A similar shadowing program is also implemented with the enrollment targeted towards employees outside of the department with an interest in learning clinical research

Results

Mentoring Program Starting in a new position and/or taking on a novel challenging or complex clinical study can be overwhelming. Having an experienced peer as a mentor, the new hires or the juniors know who to go to with their questions and concerns. he department adopts an informal, one-on-one peer mentoring model. Mentees are encouraged to work out their own mentoring objectives, action plans, timeframe, ground rules and commitment. The Mentor can be colleagues who have several years of experience and are willing to volunteer. The addition of a recognition and reward strategy also helps to attract additional mentors and has made the mentoring program successful for many years. The next step is to empower both the mentor and the mentee to have a voice in the program since the ultimate goal is to benefit both the mentor and mentee. Mentors provide tips, advice and best practices to help mentees succeed at their current job and prepare them for the next level. By mentoring someone, mentors enhance their leadership, coaching skills and refresh their own working knowledge. At the same time, mentees are empowered to speak up and share their thoughts as they have a new and fresh perspective. Lastly and importantly, the mentoring program is monitored and measured by providing continued feedback throughout the program. Shadow Program The TPCO shadowing program enables mentorships from departments across the company for all levels of employees which opens a door to those who desire a career change without any previous clinical research experience. A real case is used to demonstrate how this program helped an employee to make career transition successfully.

Conclusion

The TPCO mentoring program has been successful for many years based on the outcome and feedback. Organizational leadership support is fundamental for the mentoring program to be thrived. In addition, what’s essential is that we have a group of highly engaged and experienced ECS who find mentoring a rewarding experience as they build new talent and aid in careers of their peers. In the Merck TPCO department, senior management is committed to grow the mentorship program since this not only provides personalized leadership for both new and tenured employees, but also enhances career development and productivity for all employees.