Harvard Ophthalmology Mentoring Program Recognized by Harvard Medical School

October 31, 2019

PACEM Awards

The Harvard Ophthalmology Mentoring Program has been recognized with the 2019 Program Award for a Culture of Excellence in Mentoring (PACEM) at Harvard Medical School (HMS). This award was established to recognize departments, divisions, offices or programs for their efforts to foster innovation and sustainability in mentoring while building a culture of excellence in mentoring.

The Harvard Ophthalmology Mentoring Program is led by Patricia A. D'Amore, PhD, MBA, David Hunter, MD, PhD, and Joan W. Miller, MD, in collaboration with James Chodosh, MD, MPH and John I. Loewenstein, MD. It was created in 2014 with the goal of directing and supporting the careers of junior faculty.  Mentors focus with mentees on clinical or investigative goals, keeping in mind the tripartite Harvard Medical School mission of clinical or investigative expertise, scholarly publications, and a commitment to teaching. The program has provided a framework that promotes collegiality and widens perspective. As of September 2019, 65 Instructors, 52 Assistant Professors, and 34 Associate Professors are being mentored by 71 fellow faculty members.

In a recent survey, Harvard Ophthalmology mentees were asked to describe why they value the Mentoring Program. Here are some representative comments:

  • “The guidance is invaluable not only in knowledge base but also in encouragement and camaraderie.”

  • “The Mentoring Program is an excellent mechanism that allows young faculty to seek advice and guidance that can be hard to come by.”

  • “The interaction of a colleague in a professional and personal pathway provides insight that I would not have had the experience to detect on my own.”

PACEM Awards

The Department has a long-standing dedication to mentoring junior faculty, and a number of mentors have been recognized with individual HMS Excellence in Mentoring and Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Awards. Lucia Sobrin, MD, MPH, received the inaugural Harvard Ophthalmology Excellence in Mentoring Award in recognition of her inspiring mentorship of junior faculty this past April.

Learn more about the Harvard Ophthalmology mentoring program.