The lost art of intergenerational mentorship in health services research and teaching in pharmacy: The CRoME lab example

Introduction

Intergenerational mentorship (IM) promotes collaborative learning while challenging traditional hierarchies by promoting bidirectional knowledge exchange between experienced professionals and students. The IM model emphasizes “reverse mentoring” to foster relationships based on respect, responsibility, reciprocity, and resiliency while enhancing education and mentorship quality in the pharmacy and health services research.

Perspective

The Collaborative Research on Medication use & family health (CRoME) Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy showcases intergenerational mentorship in health services research in pharmacy. With a diverse team, including faculty, research scientists, and students, this research Lab specifically applies IM principle into every aspect of teaching and research with a unique focus on building students' skills in community-engaged leadership. For example, student members of the CRoME Lab are mentored to integrate youth perspectives into all aspects of their research and collaborate with multiple advisory boards to improve the quality of their health services research projects. All student members are provided various opportunities to practice community-based and scientific presentations and publication skills. Emphasizing community-engaged leadership extends impact beyond academia, highlighting intergenerational mentorship's influence on community engagement in the field of pharmacy.

Implications

The CRoME Lab highlights the profound impact of intergenerational mentorship in pharmacy, fostering collaboration and developing highly skilled pharmacists. This approach is crucial for shaping a blend of tradition and innovation, while benefiting the pharmacy profession by facilitating knowledge transfer, continuous learning, and leadership development among successful alumni.