ASRS Mentorship Programs Overview

The American Society of Retina Specialists is committed to providing mentorship opportunities for our members. In addition to a Retina Practice Administrator Mentorship Program, we offer three physician mentorship programs that are tailored to meet the unique needs of retina specialists and those on the road to becoming retina specialists. These programs include the Women in Retina (WinR) Mentorship Program, the Early Career Section Mentorship Program, and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion/Underrepresented in Retina Mentorship Program (family-track and traditional-track). Each program has its own focus and benefits, so it is important to carefully consider which one is the best fit for you. In this overview, we provide a brief description of each program to help you make an informed decision. Please note that this information reflects programming for 2024. Programming for 2025 will be determined in late 2024.

 

Women in Retina (WinR)

Early Career Section (ECS)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Family Track Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Traditional Track

Who are the mentees

Fellows in training, residents, and early career retina specialists

Fellows and early career retina specialists (with less than 7 years of experience)

Residents (underrepresented populations)

Residents (underrepresented populations)

Who are the mentors

Retina specialists

Retina specialists with 7 or more years of experience

Retina specialists and fellows (any population)

Retina specialists and fellows-in-training (any population)

Main activities

Zoom sessions and in-person sessions at ASRS & AAO

Quarterly e-mail prompts

Zoom sessions and in-person sessions at ASRS & AAO (5 total)

Zoom sessions and in-person sessions at ASRS & AAO (5 total)

 Grant

$2,000 for some mentees to attend the ASRS Annual Meeting  N/A $2,000 for some mentees and FIT mentors to attend the ASRS Annual Meeting N/A

WinR also has a Clinical Trials Incubator (CTI) mentorship program and will be accepting applications for new mentees in 2025.

The Mentor-Mentee Relationship in Retina: Advice for the Training Years and Beyond (from the Spring 2024 issue of Retina Times)