CARMA

Creating Adult Rheumatology Mentorship in Academia (CARMA) is a mentoring program to support early career investigators. Through this program, early career investigators participate in a matching mentoring program with established rheumatologists to enhance decision-making and satisfaction for rheumatology research trainees and junior faculty as they transition to independence after fellowship.

Participation in CARMA

See information on eligibility to apply and the time commitment for mentors and mentees.

What Do We Mean by Mentoring?

mentor: (noun) an experienced and trusted adviser

Mentorship is a developmental relationship in which one person, usually more experienced or senior, takes time to assist the career, professional or personal development of someone else, who is known as a mentee. Mentoring is most often a one-on-one relationship but is sometimes done in groups.

A mentoring relationship is one that is built on trust, in which there is an exchange of knowledge, experience and goodwill.

Some examples of what our mentors may assist with:

• Act as a source of information and insight
• Suggest relevant options regarding career development or strategies for achieving professional goals
• Recommend possible resources to improve specific skills
• Help the mentee solve professional challenges in their working life
• Discuss issues of professional ethics
• Discuss workplace related issues and options for how these may be addressed

Why Is Mentoring Important?

CARMA is an important component for developing and sustaining satisfying professional careers of early career investigators.

Participants in mentoring programs report a number of benefits from their participation: improved confidence, self-awareness, clearer career direction, better communication skills, listening skills, feedback skills, more assertive communication, and enhanced management skills.

For mentees, some of the common benefits of mentoring include:

• Exploring issues and concerns in a supportive and confidential relationship
• Obtaining experienced guidance and support
• Learning from the experience of others
• Exploring your career development plan
• Receiving feedback and developmental guidance
• Networking and learning about effective networking

Mentoring programs do not just benefit the mentees. Mentors find tremendous learning and development opportunities of their own. Some of the benefits that are frequently reported for mentors include:

• Contributing back to the profession, and gaining personal satisfaction by making a difference for someone else
• Learning and developing mentoring skills and enriching leadership and interpersonal skills
• Gaining intellectual challenge by working on issues outside the day-to-day experience
• Discovering fresh perspectives that may assist with their own work
• Increasing profile and expanding professional networks

Eligibility

Mentee Criteria

• Be actively engaged in rheumatology research by leading or developing a project throughout their participation in CARMA
• Be junior faculty (instructors or assistant professors within the first five years of their faculty appointment) or advanced trainees, including medical residents, graduate students, rheumatology fellows, or post-doctoral researchers
• ACR or ARP membership is required

Mentor Criteria

• Mentors must be adult rheumatology research focused
• ACR or ARP membership is required

Both mentees and mentors must also be willing to complete the online training provided, review the support resources available and engage completely in the relationship process, connecting with your mentee/mentor at least monthly.

Once you are matched with a mentor/mentee, all the materials you need to guide you on your mentoring journey together will be available for you online. The Program Platform is where you will go to undertake the online training, access the support resources, complete feedback surveys, and communicate with the Program Manager.

Time Commitment

The CARMA Mentoring Program is a 9-month program, from June 2025 through March 2026. Mentors and mentees will be matched according to application details and are required to attend three events; Program Launch, Progress Review; and Program Close, all of which will be delivered via webinar. During the program, mentors and mentees will be expected to be in contact at least monthly.