Your Digital Mentor Podcast

Takeaways from today's episode:  “I was not put on earth to follow your wishes”, you have to help yourself and reach out to good people who can mentor you. Don’t compromise on your dreams.  Get mentorship from multiple sources. You should not self-censor, this is a result of socialisation. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Ask for support when you need it and stop trying to be superwoman and negotiate...

Takeaways from today's episode:  Practice: The more you network, the easier it becomes. Be genuine. If you have a true interest in science, and a true interest in people, it is a very powerful combination that will make interactions easy. Not everyone is comfortable with meeting and greeting. The good thing is that you have at least one interest in common, which is science. Once you start, the com...

Resources: Representation in science: https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30740-6.pdf Parachute research: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30239-0/fulltext The culture of research and how it needs to change: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2019/11/10/global-health-research-needs-more-than-a-makeover/#71523e2a7e34 Covid-19 and overlooked research f...

Resources: Representation in science: https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30740-6.pdf Parachute research: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30239-0/fulltext The culture of research and how it needs to change: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhukarpai/2019/11/10/global-health-research-needs-more-than-a-makeover/#71523e2a7e34 Covid-19 and overlooked research f...

Takeaways from today's episode:  Research culture requires dialling down on perfectionism which would help to relieve the pressure. People respect it when you say NO, so learn to say NO. politely. Institutions should support mental health support to researchers Be sensitive to different cultural views about mental health Intersectionality in mental health means that different people experience the...

Takeaways from today's episode:  Imposter syndrome deals with the struggle of the Internal struggle (often to prove oneself) vs the external environment, including the lack of representation in different fields. In presentations and even in life, remember It’s ok to say ‘I don’t know’. Some ways one can work through the imposter syndrome include: acknowledging it is a common feeling, separating th...

Takeaways from today's episode: Building capacity and skills is an effective way to address the vulnerability of young people in Africa, it builds their confidence to thrive. Systemic impact is achieved through policy change, advocacy and investing in the lives of young people who can invest back into their communities. Our niche lies in the ability to take the voices of engaged millennials and ad...

Takeaways from today's episode: A mentor is a wise and trusted counsellor or teacher who is willing to share knowledge and experiences about their life, career and also provides guidance and support. Alternative strategies such as peer, group and virtual mentorship address skills and resource limitations while enabling scalability and access to diverse pools of mentors worldwide. Mentorship in LMI...

Takeaways from today's episode:  Traditional mentoring is often ad-hoc and vague whereas a structured mentoring programme with the right tools, resources and recognition is more effective. Mentees should be responsible for setting up research agenda and lead discussion with mentors and take ownership of careers and research projects A mentor owes time and should be accessible to impart essential s...

Takeaways from today's episode:  It is okay to be vulnerable and share your struggles. Always set boundaries with each other.  Don’t restrict yourself, you can find mentors for different things. Be brave and direct and ask someone to be a mentor, the worst they can say is no. Be sure to pay it forward Resources Mentoring health researchers globally by Cole et al.    Global Health Mentoring Toolkit...

Our twitter header includes the word for mentor in different languages. The podcast team discuss what mentorship means to them.

Voices (In order of appearance): Christine Boinett, Isabela Malta, Mark Ayabei, Alice Matimba, Tichakunda Matimba, Emmanuela Oppong. Editing: Mariana Vaz, www.marianacpvaz.com/ Music: freesound.org/s/477388/ Podcast team: Christine Boinett (Creator and Executive producer), Alice Matimba (Senior producer), Emmanuela Oppong (Producer and editor), Isabela Malta (Producer and editor), Catherine Holmes...