An Analysis of Doctoral Students' Perceptions of Mentorship During Their Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Context: Mentorship has been established as a key facilitator of professional socialization for athletic trainers into various professional roles. Understanding how current doctoral students are trained to serve in future faculty roles is critical, as there is an increased demand for athletic trainers to serve in this capacity. Objective: Gain an understanding of the relationship that develops between a doctoral student and the athletic training faculty mentor. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Universities with athletic training doctoral students. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-eight doctoral students (19 females, 9 males; average age ¼ 28 6 3 years) participated in our study. The doctoral students were certified for 6 6 3 years and represented 5 different National Athletic Trainers’ Association districts and 9 different universities. Main Outcome Measures: One-on-one telephone interviews following a semistructured script were recorded with all participants. Upon completion, each interview was transcribed and analyzed using a thematic approach. Peer review, multiple analyst triangulation, and stakeholder checks ensured trustworthiness. Results: Three themes emerged from our thematic analysis procedure: (1) The relationship between the student and the faculty mentor needs to be one that is supportive, yet viewed as yielding autonomy and collaboration; (2) the relationship between the student and the faculty mentor needs to include opportunities for professional development specifically related to skill acquisition and development related to a future academic role; and (3) the relationship between the student and the faculty mentor must demonstrate a mutual investment in the educational experience. Conclusions: Mentoring is necessary to help ensure a quality experience for doctoral students preparing for future positions in higher education or research. Like previous research in socialization, doctoral students want autonomy in their roles, but value their mentor’s feedback and support. Therefore, doctoral faculty mentors should demonstrate strong communication skills and provide doctoral students opportunities for diverse learning experiences.