Women in AMIA Mentoring Event

For almost the past two years, I’ve been taking the Metro North from New Haven to Grand Central NY and back most weekends. During these train rides, my mind wanders, and I often come up with creative (mostly crazy) ideas. It was during one of these rides that this thought came to me. But first some backstory.

I’ve been a member of the Women In AMIA (WIA) Networking/Mentoring and Lifecycle subcommittee since 2020, and every year, we rack our brains to find new ways to engage more participants and encourage greater involvement in our events during the AMIA Annual Symposium. One of the main events organized by our subcommittee is the WIA Mentoring Event. Organized for the first time about 5 years ago by the WIA leadership team led by Wendy Chapman and Adela Grando, this event aims to provide a space for AMIA members who identify as women to connect and discuss career development. Unlike fleeting moments of interaction in general networking events, this event gives you a generous 30 - 45 minutes to engage in deeper conversations.

Back to my train ride, and I thought - why not capture the personal stories and testimonies of mentors and mentees who have experienced the event firsthand to promote engagement in the coming years? The interviewer in me was suddenly wide awake! I took my Scribe and started drafting the questions. The spotty internet connection on the train couldn’t curb my excitement and I placed an order for a voice recorder. With all this done, I brought this up in our monthly subcommittee meeting and Helen (past chair of the subcommittee), Polina and other members readily agreed and supported the plan. Polina has been the driving force behind this event for the past few years, with the support of many other members of WIA, including Laura Barrett and Mina Ostavari.

Fast forward to the 2023 WIA mentoring event - as I listened to the personal stories and reflections shared by mentors and mentees, I could sense a lot of emotion – the joy of giving back, a sense of gratitude, the thrill of landing new opportunities, and above all a great relief on many faces after those open conversations.

My first conversation was with Laura Wiley, who shared her motivation for signing up as a mentor: “I’ve been a part of AMIA since I was a student, and I love giving back and helping the next generation. This event is a great way to do that.” She spoke at length about different types of mentorships and stressed on the need for having different mentors at different stages of one’s career, adding that “you can learn something from every kind of mentorship, whether it is short term, medium term or long term”. “Remember, maintaining repeated connections are crucial.”, she reminded as we wrapped up.

Donghua Tao, a dedicated long-time member of AMIA and former Chair of Women in AMIA, was thrilled to impart the valuable tips and tricks she has gathered over the years to the younger generation. She views this mentorship dynamic as a mutually beneficial relationship, where both mentor and mentee have the opportunity to grow and foster connections.

Jaya Chaturvedi, who was attending her first AMIA, was thrilled to participate as a mentee and share her experience. “I am nearing the end of my PhD program, and I wanted to get perspectives from senior women in my field,” she said, stressing that sometimes a gender perspective really matters. Jaya’s experience was invaluable, as she shared, “My first mentor invited me to join a group that meets every month, providing additional support and knowledge in my area of interest.” She emphasized the value of event, saying, “I got everything I wanted from this event – new avenues of support, advice on different things to consider, including perspectives from someone working in an area I was considering.”

One of the interesting conversations I had was with Loria Brown Gordon. After having worked as an administrator for 22 years, she was planning a career change and seeking guidance on pursuing a master’s degree in health informatics. She was excited at the opportunity for genuine conversation, recounting, “Just come and have a conversation, have an open mind, share what you want to share. Just show up and participate; you won’t regret it.”

While we encourage registrations, we have had people walk-in after knowing about the event during the conference. Tania Tajirian, who floored me with her energy and enthusiasm, walked-in volunteering to be a mentor. She shared her journey becoming Canada’s first female CHIO and her motivation to become a mentor. “I would not be where I am without my mentors. It’s giving back.” She emphasized the qualities that make a great mentor, highlighting “emotional intelligence, humility, and genuine interest in other people’s success.” Tania’s advice for mentees resonated with me: “It’s good to have a few questions in mind, but it will flow organically. It’s about the connection, being open, and having that conversation, maintaining regular contacts and the relationship will grow.”

Polina’s own journey, from mentee to organizer, is a testament to the event’s impact. “I started as a mentee,” she recalled, “and my mentors helped me immensely with some career decisions.” While she hasn’t participated as a mentor due to her organizational responsibilities, I can vouch for the immense effort she puts into making this event a success – an effort that inspired me to join her in organizing the event. Did you know that Polina even has an R program to match mentors and mentees? A true informaticist, isn’t it?

The current Co-chairs of the subcommittee, Michelle Crozier and Nicole Guevara, are committed to taking this event a step ahead by organizing online mentoring events throughout the year. Find out more by clicking here or reach out to our Co-chairs.

And finally, if you have ever participated in this event and benefited from it come share your experiences, forward it to your mentors/mentees and please consider registering for the event. I hope to see you all in San Francisco this November.