Celebrating National Mentoring Month in January: Excellence in Faculty Mentoring for Radiologists and Imaging Scientists

The UCSF Radiology and Biomedical Imaging department's formal mentoring program, managed by the Academic Affairs team, aims to demystify the academic process for junior faculty members and ensure that they are well-supported in meeting their career goals. Imaging scientist Sri Nagarajan, PhD, leads the department's PhD mentoring efforts and radiologist Christine Glastonbury, MBBS, leads MD mentoring.

Each of the department's 40 assistant professors is paired with a faculty member at the rank of associate or full professor. We aim for mentorship to play a pivotal role in ensuring high career satisfaction of both mentors and mentees. This reciprocal relationship, built on strong communication and trust, fosters an exchange of support and knowledge with the goal of aiding mentees in achieving their career and personal goals, including successfully progressing through the academic ranks. Mentors value sharing encouragement and guidance on professional development opportunities and advice on balancing clinical and research careers with family life. 

Each year since 2015, we have celebrated mentoring excellence with the Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award, honoring faculty members who show extraordinary dedication to the art and craft of mentoring. The 2023 Radiology Mentoring Award was presented to Z. Jane Wang, MD, Chief of Abdominal Imaging, in recognition of her achievements as a tireless mentor and advocate for junior faculty and members of her division. Her nominators noted that –

"Jane is an outstanding role model and leader and a compassionate colleague. Each of her three current mentees has spoken about Jane's contributions to their career, her patience and her thoughtful advice as they navigate the complexities of raising young families while in academics."

"Jane has done a phenomenal job not only for her assigned junior mentees, but also for her division members who are flourishing under her leadership. I also would like to highlight Jane's work as Associate Director of the T32 program, where she has done wonderful work mentoring and supporting our T32 trainees."

Outstanding Faculty Mentors 2015-2023

Thank you to our faculty mentors for their excellent contributions to shaping the future of radiology and biomedical imaging. We are proud of their dedication to building a culture of support and collaboration that fosters the career success of our junior faculty members and enhances the professional climate of our entire department.