Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 1: Introductions/Ice Breaker
Activity
“Topic 1: Introductions/Ice Breaker” can take place after slide 9, before you move into slide 10 (Goals).
Goal
Share thoughts and feelings related to experiences of women faculty in academic medicine at their institution.
Objective
Upon completion of this Introductions/Ice Breaker exercise, the attendees will
● Increase their knowledge of lived-experiences of women faculty at their institution.
● Identify opportunities for women of color to facilitate their promotion and empowerment at academic
institutions.
Total Time
15-minutes with partner
5-minutes large group report-out
Facilitator
The ideal facilitator for this session could be any of the following people in a leadership role at your institution
that can potentially share the information with the C-Suite:
● Designated GDI and/or GWIMS Representative Leadership
● Diversity Officer or champion
● Women advocate like Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS)
● Ally, Advocate, or Upstander for gender equity
Instructions
1. Ask each person to pair-up with someone they do not know well.
2. Each pair will pick someone to be the timer and someone to report out to the larger group.
3. Each person share with their partner the following: (7.5-minutes for each person to share)
● Introductions: “My fullest Name” –State your fullest name, unique characteristics, history (if you’re
comfortable), their personality and or other traits they feel like sharing. Who gave you your name?
Why that name? The origin of that name? What is your preferred name?
● What is your comfort level addressing the topic of women of color in Academic Medicine? Why do
you think you feel this way?
● How does the experience of women of color at your institution impact you?
Large Group Report Out
Have a few people share some themes that came out during this ice breaker experience.
Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 2: Mentor, Coach and Sponsor
Activity
“Topic 2: Mentor, Coach and Sponsor” can take place after slide 16.
Goal
Identify people that can serve as your mentor, coach and/or sponsor that can help you achieve your personal and
professional goals.
Objective
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will identify people that can serve as their mentor, coach and/or sponsor.
Total Time
30-minutes
Facilitator
Self-Directed
Instructions
1. Think for a moment about the people in your personal and professional life that have an invested interest in your
success.
2. Using the guide below to identify who is your mentor (or who can serve as such for you), coach and/or sponsor to
you. How do these individuals meet these criteria?
3. After you have finished thinking and writing this out, define a due date when you are to confirm the individuals as
coaches or mentors. How might you know or confirm that someone is your sponsor?
Self-Directed Guide
MENTOR
Who is the person that can serve as your mentor?
What are the qualities about this person that make them best suited to be a mentor?
What would you like for them to do for you and with you?
How and when will you talk to this person about serving in this capacity for you?
What are your responsibilities as a mentee to facilitate a productive mentor-mentee relationship?
COACH
How do you get a coach?
Who is the person that can serve as your coach?
What are the qualities about this person that make them best suited to be a coach?
What would you like for them to do for you and with you?
How and when will you talk to this person about serving in this capacity for you?
SPONSOR
How do you get a sponsor?
Who is the person that can serve as your sponsor?
What are the qualities about this person that make them best suited to be a sponsor?
How then, do you increase your visibility? Prepare and be prepared to discuss in short form your current
projects/activities.
What would you like for the sponsor to do for you and with you? How can the sponsor advance your career goals?
How and when will you talk to your sponsor about serving in this capacity for you?
Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 3: Experiencing Bias and Healing
Activity
This activity can take place after slide 27.
Goal
Explore personal experiences of bias that you have encountered throughout your career time that have been hard
to work through and describe your plans for moving forward.
Objective
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will
● identify personal experiences of bias during their career time
● define steps and strategies to move towards healing
Total Time
60-minutes for the activity
45 minutes to reflect with a coach, mentor or sponsor
Instructions
1. Using the guide below, think through the questions presented and write down your thoughts and
feelings.
2. In the action section, explore what you need to help you work through these challenging experiences.
3. Provide your coach, mentor and/or sponsor with a copy of what you have completed and talk though
your “actions” for their feedback and guidance.
Guide
REFLECTION
● Think about a time when you were the recipient of a biased remark or action that has been
challenging/difficult for you even as of today.
● Why do you think it’s difficult to process this experience? What have been the barriers?
● Did the incident have an impact on your academic career?
ACTION
● What do you need to help move you from where you are now, to where you want to be? People,
resources, times, etc.
● How do you envision your coach, mentor and/or sponsor helping you to achieve this goal?
Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 4: Your Emotional Intelligence
Activity
This activity can be completed after Slide 41.
Goal
Self-assess your emotional intelligence and what this means for your own personal and professional
development.
Objective
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will have an increased understanding of their emotional
intelligence.
Total Time
15-minutes
Instructions
1.Go the following website for the Institute for Health and Human Potential.
2. Click on this link to complete their free EI quiz *Keep in mind, there are several self-assessments for test
your emotional intelligence and this is just one version. https://www.ihhp.com/free-eq-quiz/
3. What do you think about your score?
4. What does your score mean to you and how you interact with others in the workplace?
5. What can you do to improve your score?
6. Share your results with your mentor, coach and/or sponsor for their feedback.
Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 5: Making a Commitment
Activity
“Topic 2: Making a Commitment” can take place at the end of the presentation.
Goal
Create ideas for you that would help advance your career in Academic Medicine.
Objective
Upon completion of this presentation, then participant will develop at least 2 SMARTIE goals that will promote
their advancement at their institution.
Total Time
● 30-minutes
● 60-minutes with your mentor, coach or sponsor
Instructions
1. Using the attached template, create 2 SMARTIE goals. (30-minutes)
2. SMART in SMARTIE goals stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound,
ensuring the goal is also focuses on Inclusion and Equity.
3. Share your write-up with your mentor, coach or sponsor for their feedback and ideas.
Strategies for Advancing the Careers of Women of Color in Academic Medicine
Part 2 – Individual Strategies
Worksheet Topic 5: Making a Commitment
SMARTIE GOALS TEMPLATE
Identify SMARTIE GOAL #1:
SPECIFIC: Who, what, where, when, and
why?
MEASURABLE: How do you measure
progress?
ACHIEVABLE: Resources to make this
happen.
RELEVANT: Align goals with objectives of
your institution.
TIME-BASED: Deadline to achieve this
goal.
INCLUSION How does this goal impact
yourself as a Woman of Color, or others who
are traditionally marginalized?
EQUITY How does this goal seek to address
systemic injustice, inequity, or oppression of
others and WOC in particular?”
Identify SMARTIE GOAL #2:
SPECIFIC: Who, what, where, when, and
why?
MEASURABLE: How do you measure
progress?
ACHIEVABLE: Resources to make this
happen.
RELEVANT: Align goals with objectives of
your institution.
TIME-BASED: Deadline to achieve this
goal.
INCLUSION How does this goal impact
yourself as a Woman of Color, or others who
are traditionally marginalized?
EQUITY How does this goal seek to address
systemic injustice, inequity, or oppression of
others and WOC in particular?”
