Evaluation of a National Mentorship Pilot Program for Early-Career Women in PHM

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Women comprise most of the pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) workforce yet experience disparities in authorship, leadership, and compensation. Structured mentorship and professional development tailored to early-career women remain limited. Supporting Her in Navigating Early Career (SHINE), a national mentorship initiative for trainee and early-career PHM women, was developed to address these gaps. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the SHINE pilot program's impact on participants' mentorship connections and self-confidence in career-related skills. METHODS: We conducted a prospective pre-post evaluation of the 2025 SHINE pilot. The curriculum included six 1-hour sessions on negotiation, job search, promotion, branding, and mentorship. Participants completed anonymous pre- and postprogram surveys assessing self-efficacy across 12 career domains using 5-point Likert scales and provided open-ended feedback. Paired t tests evaluated within-participant changes in confidence scores, and content analysis was applied to qualitative responses. RESULTS: All 25 participants (100%) completed the presurvey and 21 (84%) the postsurvey, with 16 matched pairs. Significant improvements in self-reported confidence were observed across all domains (Cohen's d: 1.06-2.11; P < 0.001). The largest gains occurred in perceived professional visibility, negotiation confidence, and empowerment to address gender-related barriers. The percentage of participants with cross-institutional mentors increased from 36% to 67% and peer mentors from 12% to 100%. Qualitative themes included improved connection and community, confidence and self-advocacy, and professional identity. CONCLUSIONS: SHINE participation was associated with substantial gains in perceived self-confidence and reported mentorship connections. This pilot supports the feasibility and perceived value of gender-informed, cohort-based mentorship for trainee and early-career women in PHM.