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

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.