About the ESMO Virtual Mentorship Programme

The ESMO Virtual Mentorship is a 12-month programme designed by the ESMO Young Oncologists Committee in collaboration with the ESMO Women for Oncology Committee.

It offers the opportunity for ESMO members under 40 years of age (Young Oncologist, YO) to be matched with an ESMO mentor, who will provide 1:1 mentorship to address unmet career development needs.

Example of areas to focus on could include, but are not limited to:

• Skill development
• Career advice, including counselling/guidance for female oncologists looking to grow professionally and reach leadership positions (e.g., boosting communication and assertiveness abilities; building self-confidence; developing own network...)
• How to publish research
• Developing research interests
• Burnout issues, e.g., ensuring a healthy work-life balance

Programme

• The Mentorship need and aim must be clear from the outset and mentees must submit these with their application form. Once matched with a mentor, the pair will agree the overall goals, objectives and agree an action plan, steps and timeline for the duration of the programme. 
• Mentees should take ownership when setting these goals, while mentors will encourage their mentees to break down their goals into achievable objectives, steps and action items
• The duration of the programme is 12 months
• The frequency of interaction will be agreed together (it is recommended to connect once per month)
• Ideally mentors and mentees should consider to meet face-to-face at the annual ESMO Congress and where possible at other ESMO meetings too.
• During the mentorship both the mentee and the mentor must agree to provide a positive supportive environment aimed at achieving the set goals of the mentorship. 
• During and after the mentorship programme the mentor and mentee must agree to provide regular feedback to the ESMO office in order to regularly improve the programme.

Eligibility criteria

Mentees must:

• Be an ESMO member age 40 or under at the time of application – renew your membership here
• Be a medical doctor practicing in the field of Medical Oncology
• Be fluent in written and spoken English
• Demonstrate that they have a personal unmet mentoring need (no access to a mentor to guide them)
• Commit to send a report detailing the agreed goals and timelines to the ESMO Head Office after the first meeting, and to submit progress updates according to the agreed programme (templates will be provided)

Application process

You must complete all parts of the application and provide the additional documents as listed below (please ensure you have all the requested documentation to hand when applying):

• Full CV (it is recommended to use the CV template provided here)
• Motivation letter – clearly explaining your mentorship need and objectives
• Letter of recommendation or reference from your institute/head of department supporting your application
• ESMO ID Number

Apply now

Application review process

Applications will be reviewed by the ESMO Young Oncologists Committee and the ESMO Women for Oncology Committee. The committees will evaluate and score all aspects of the application, and in particular focus on:

• Your motivation letter
• Your mentorship need and goals
• Quality of the application
• Access to mentors (preference given to young oncologists who are experiencing problems to find a mentor)