Promoting Cancer Health Equity: A Qualitative Study of Mentee and Mentor Perspectives of a Training Program for Underrepresented Scholars in Cancer Health Disparities
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Ethical Approval
2.2. Study Design
2.3. Participants and Setting
2.4. Data Collection
2.5. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Successful Mentoring Relationship
3.1.1. Effective Communication
I think the availability of time is important. Also, the ability to hear what a student has in mind, what their goals are, and what their interests are, and seeing how the research mentor can best support them.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
Time, you have to make time, embed time to make these things happen. It has to be like intentional time, honesty, a little bit of trust. […] I used to make many assumptions about how things should go […] maybe not everybody thinks the same way as you, they don’t value the same things, so kind of provide a space to see what people value here and what is our happy ground. Usually, there’s a happy ground if you’re going to talk about that.(Mentor, female, Evelyn)
I think the delayed communication was one of the most major barriers. […] yes, definitely the communication was what made the mentor relationship, I feel like, a negative one.(Mentee, female, graduate, Laura)
3.1.2. Scholar Motivation and Mentor Engagement
You could be the best researcher in the world and that’s why all students are seeking you but if you only have five on your roster and you only have time for two, well, you’re not a very good mentor for the other three that are left out.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
I think the most valuable piece of the program was that I had a student that really wanted to be involved in this line of research and that differs from just the general population of students you get as a professor in the department.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
There are always certain things that she does want in a certain way, so adapting to your supervisor is pretty natural in any type of work environment.(Mentee, female, graduate, Michelle)
3.1.3. Compassion and Understanding
I felt like she was putting me before herself, which was really amazing to feel that she really valued me and wanted to invest in me as an early researcher and as a mentee, that was really nice and important to me. I really appreciated that because not every mentor does that.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
I think that’s really important just to have somebody to listen to you and not be afraid to tell your ideas […]. If there’s a little give and take, obviously, […] or it can be made better [your idea] that’s something that a mentor should share, but also just helping to grow, help that person grow as an academic.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Camila)
I think flexibility and patience and understanding and then also, know how to help students raise their expectations for themselves. […] being patient with them as they do develop those skills and I think just being a good listener [Laughter] throughout the process and giving constructive criticism. I think, obviously, we have to give them feedback throughout the entire process but never making them feel like they’re not smart enough or they can’t do it. That’s been a big one for me.(Mentor, female, Maria)
3.1.4. Flexibility and Clear Expectations
I think it was really successful because she took the time to understand how I worked, what I needed, and what I was looking for and what I wanted, and at the same time, I did the same. So, we both went in, knowing each other’s expectations and how we worked and how we could work together.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
I guess her mentoring style was just ambivalent and maybe a little unpredictable. At times she was more hands-on and at times she wasn’t, so I wasn’t really sure what her expectations were.(Mentee, female, graduate, Lina)
3.2. Mentor/Mentee Similarities and Differences
3.2.1. Gender
I, definitely, feel more comfortable with somebody of the same gender as me. Again, it’s that power dynamic that comes into play that makes me feel more comfortable to be around other people that identifies with me.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Camila)
Just learning from her experiences as a female, how she’s maneuvered it, how being a female has impacted her educational and professional career was insightful, yes.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
She has a young child. I have children that are maybe a couple of years older than her child and so at first, we kind of like bonded around, oh, we both have kids, and we would talk about our kids and being moms and stuff […] I had a lot of empathy as a mother.(Mentor, female, Jennifer)
[…] being underrepresented for example as a woman in that area, I thought it was important for me to highlight for her what the different options were and that she didn’t have to pigeonhole herself and just take one path […] The really amazing part of that story is that she did perceive with an open mind and look into other programs that she never thought she would ever have a chance in getting into and she got into [graduate program] which, until this day, when I talk to her, she’s like, “I can’t believe I’m here.”(Mentor, female, Maria)
3.2.2. Race and Ethnicity
Race is also important to me, but I think, as long as a mentor has an appreciation and understanding for people of other backgrounds, and I guess understands their role and how their bias might come into play, I think as long as there’s an awareness there that it’s okay for the most part.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Camila)
That [racial and ethnic] difference did not play a role in our relationship whatsoever, in as much as she already has the knowledge that these are disenfranchised groups, and I don’t think her race dictates that knowledge. […] So, I can’t say that our differences in race or ethnicity had an impact on our relationship, our mentor-mentee relationship.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
I mean, we’re both [race/ethnicity]. […] I feel in the moments that we did have—we could connect with one another is due to those. We’re from the same culture, from some sense, from some sort.(Mentee, female, graduate, Lina)
One thing I will say that I was surprised that race didn’t play more of a factor if I’m being honest […] I am surprised about how that wasn’t something that I could use to build rapport enough to get the mentorship that I needed.(Mentee, female, graduate, Laura)
I don’t think I’ve ever seen like a [ethnicity] person in academia or even like [ethnicity] doctor. I think in some ways, just having that representation matters to help you just, I don’t know, believe that what you aspire to do is possible. […] I guess maybe having them as a mentor wouldn’t hurt either but I think if you have a strong mentor that understands your background, whatever difficulties you may be facing, I think it’s the same. At the end of the day, you have a good mentor.(Mentee, male, undergraduate, Stephen)
3.2.3. Being Underrepresented
I come from a lower income background and the schools that I attended were underperforming and so there just weren’t a lot of opportunities for things like research, things like science programs and what not until—I think for this program to specifically pick out the people like me to give them a chance to do these types of things is a really good thing. It’s very important.(Mentee, male, undergraduate, Patrick)
Some of the challenges she encountered, for example, when she was getting ready to apply to graduate school, I recognized in my own challenges, things that we know now that if you’re the first one in your family to go to college or graduate school, you don’t know what you’re looking for or what you should be focused on in the applications. I definitely recognize those challenges in her.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
I guess some of the experiences that I had growing up in lack of access to care, lack of all of those things, growing up low income, single parent or growing up with a single parent, I think all of that it primes me to work with certain populations that experience certain health disparities. There’s a little bit more insight, I think, for sure.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Camila)
3.2.4. Common Values, Interests, and Personality
I think the key piece would be similar values. Both of us value similar things, like compassion, diversity, work-life balance; all of those things really helped foster the relationship.(Mentee, female, graduate, Shirin)
We’re both minorities. She can easily see that. […] Although, I don’t think it had played a role in this particular relationship […] my UHAND scholar was just really eager and really ready to learn, and so it just came naturally for the both of us. We just synced, we vibe but, generally speaking, I do believe some of those variants had to do with our similar minority status, although I can’t think of anything that pinpoints it. That’s just my general belief.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
I think we connected a lot on being women and I think just having the same passion for health disparities and just—I mean, a lot of other things. […] the initial thing that connected us when she first started working with me is that we both really enjoyed being physically active(Mentor, female, Maria)
[I thought] oh, she’s going to do just like me. […] it’s going to be the same, but it wasn’t. […] on the one hand, the similarities create a whole lot of empathy for the student and understanding when they are in situations, but then it can also make you very judgmental about their personal situation, and I think on the flip side, too, when you have differences with a student, like easily observable differences […] I would be trying to be extra sympathetic about things that I couldn’t identify with, [giving] all this extra room for things and flexibility [even when it was not necessarily needed].(Mentor, female, Lisa)
3.3. Becoming a Researcher
3.3.1. Building Skills and Knowledge
[Mentor’s] contributions are huge. Helping me understand, from the basics, how to raise these questions […] and how do you go about redeveloping them if they don’t work, or if what you want to know is impossible? So, in particular working on a paper with the [community partner] and having her guide me in understanding the data, understanding what I need to know, and being able to execute it and her supporting me, and feeling like, I’m going to give this my best shot and she’s there to help me.(Mentee, female, graduate, Shirin)
3.3.2. Motivation and Self-Esteem
Just to motivate you as a student to put yourself out there in academia because I think a lot of the undergraduates in my cohort were never in research before and weren’t even sure if they could do research and I think that’s certainly how I felt before UHAND.(Mentee, male, undergraduate, Stephen)
They helped me kind of gaining confidence in myself like to be independent and contribute to the work that they were doing. I definitely have a voice which was nice. […] They helped me become a more independent researcher for sure.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Camila)
Of course, I can learn how to run a centrifuge and things like that, but I think the biggest thing was the professionalism that I learned working with all these people who are highly esteemed researchers from all over the world […] just being able to talk with them and have a conversation, […] look presentable and be professional.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Tiffany)
Just the ability for, again, Dr. [name] to really just invest in me and put me in front of her sometimes was really helpful, but it also made me see how I want to continue to do that for future generations of researchers. […] now I can also see myself more in academia, to be a mentor and also teach others, but it’s also impacted my career path in the sense that now as I’m progressing through my master’s degree, and hopefully, future MD.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
That motivation is needed, that inspiration is needed in order to get the most—the best quality work from your student […] If the student is not necessarily feeling motivated, or inspired, then that could potentially negatively impact the work that they’re doing with you and the quality of their work. Either because they’re afraid of asking questions or getting direction, or because of just the lack of motivation.(Mentee, female, graduate, Laura)
3.3.3. Career Development: Making a Difference
I’m definitely well prepared in the sense that I have a better idea of what I want to continue to do and work towards in terms of career goals, but I’m also well prepared in terms of the research skills, experiences, and the career development that I gained from the UHAND program.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Nisha)
She was like motivating me and encouraging me to do it [applying to high-ranking graduate schools]. I think without that motivation and encouragement, I would have kind of been more intimidated by the process, but I was able to get in those schools, I was very happy.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Carmen)
Absolutely successful because I feel like she […] learned what she expected to learn and what I think UHAND expects us to learn out of their research projects, the research part that they engaged in. Also, for me, the biggest part aside from that is that she’s in graduate school now. She’s doing great. She’s successful and she has taken those skills she learned when she was a UHAND scholar working with me and she’s applying them in graduate school. I feel like it was an absolute success.(Mentor, female, Maria)
3.4. Program Supportive Opportunities and Challenges
I believe that I got more of a high function of output from her because she had to log hours in. She had to account for the time that she spent on this research.(Mentor, female, Sheila)
I come from a lower income background and the schools that I attended were underperforming and so there just weren’t a lot of opportunities for things like research, things like science programs and what not […] without this program, I probably would have never been introduced to research.(Mentee, male, undergraduate, Patrick)
[…] s/he was a lab manager, and then there was A. who was also his/her mentee and then s/he had another mentee. So, all three of them were a huge help. They were definitely mentors to me. I still keep up with a few of them to this day. So yes, they definitely offered a lot.(Mentee, female, undergraduate, Tiffany)
[Mentoring other scholars] exposed me, again to mentorship it’s the same way you’re benefitting from having a mentor. It taught me to also be willing to offer what I knew to my mentees who were undergraduate students and also that prepared me for my faculty role […] working largely with students and also doing research. So I do believe that experience helped a lot with my communication with students at my current position and just preparing me for that role of being a faculty member.(Mentee, female, postdoctoral, Alyssa)
3.5. Challenges and Benefits of In-Person vs Virtual Program Delivery
3.5.1. Benefits: Accessibility and Affordability
It was hard to be remote, and then I realized how many things I’m able to attend, like the programming and the community outreach, and how a lot of it would not be possible if I had to drive from MD Anderson to U of H.(Mentee, female, graduate, Shirin)
It made things more feasible for people who also have multiple responsibilities, right? I think that since the grant is working with underserved […] communities and mentees, it’s really helpful to take that perspective […]. So, we all know that people belonging to these groups tend to have multiple life demands and type of roles, and so all of these opportunities might not be feasible.(Mentee, female, graduate, Shirin)
I do think virtual increases equity, especially for those who may have disabilities or dependents at home.(Mentee, female, graduate, Lina)
3.5.2. Challenges: Peer Support and Fellowship
I think the camaraderie I had with my cohorts, we would show up early to things and we would talk and I would get advice from A. […] she always had fantastic things to tell us and we would learn from the undergrads and even still, a year later, a lot of us are still connected and so I think that’s something that would be hard to achieve virtually.(Mentee, female, graduate, Lina)
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Cohort 1 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scholar | Disadvantaged Background † | First GenerationCollege * | Female Sex | Ethnicity ††/Race | University Major |
Postdoc | X | X | African Black | Public Health | |
Grad 1 | X | X | African American Black | Psychology | |
Grad 2 | X | X | White | Psychology | |
Grad 3 | X | White | Psychology | ||
UG 1 | X | X | African American Black | Health Education | |
UG 2 | X | Asian American | Biology | ||
UG 3 | X | Hispanic White | Psychology | ||
UG 4 | X | X | African American Black | Public Health | |
UG 5 | X | African American Black and White | Biochemical/Biophysical Science | ||
UG 6 | X | X | X | White | Public Health |
Cohort 2 | |||||
Scholar | Disadvantaged Background † | First Generation College * | Female Sex | Ethnicity ††/Race | University Major |
Grad 1 | X | X | X | African American Black | Health Psychology |
Grad 2 | X | Asian | Health Psychology | ||
Grad 3 | X | Hispanic White | Health Psychology | ||
UG 1 | X | X | American Indian/Hispanic | Biology/Health | |
UG 2 | X | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Public Health | ||
UG 3 | X | Asian | Biology/Psychology/Pre-med |
Mentor Organization | Disadvantaged Background † | First Generation College * | Female Sex | Ethnicity ††/Race | Discipline |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M 1 UH | X | X | X | White | Counseling Psychology |
M 2 MDACC | X | African American Black | Behavioral Science | ||
M 3 UH | X | White | Behavioral Nutrition/Health Psychology | ||
M 4 UH | X | X | White/Hispanic | Health Psychology | |
M 5 UH | X | African American Black | Community Psychology | ||
M 6 MDACC | White | Experimental Psychology | |||
M 7 UH | X | X | X | White/Hispanic | Health Psychology |
Themes | Categories |
---|---|
Successful mentoring relationship |
|
Mentor/mentee similarities and differences |
|
Becoming a researcher |
|
Program supportive opportunities |
|
In-person vs virtual program delivery |
|
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Rogova, A.; Martinez Leal, I.; Britton, M.; Chang, S.; Escoto, K.H.; Solari Williams, K.D.; Roberson, C.; McNeill, L.H.; Reitzel, L.R. Promoting Cancer Health Equity: A Qualitative Study of Mentee and Mentor Perspectives of a Training Program for Underrepresented Scholars in Cancer Health Disparities. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127512
Rogova A, Martinez Leal I, Britton M, Chang S, Escoto KH, Solari Williams KD, Roberson C, McNeill LH, Reitzel LR. Promoting Cancer Health Equity: A Qualitative Study of Mentee and Mentor Perspectives of a Training Program for Underrepresented Scholars in Cancer Health Disparities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(12):7512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127512
Chicago/Turabian StyleRogova, Anastasia, Isabel Martinez Leal, Maggie Britton, Shine Chang, Kamisha H. Escoto, Kayce D. Solari Williams, Crystal Roberson, Lorna H. McNeill, and Lorraine R. Reitzel. 2022. "Promoting Cancer Health Equity: A Qualitative Study of Mentee and Mentor Perspectives of a Training Program for Underrepresented Scholars in Cancer Health Disparities" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 12: 7512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127512