Early Career Launch Program
Program Overview
The Northwestern Urology Early Career Launch Program is a three-year mentorship program designed for early career faculty (1-3 years post-training), emphasizing the areas of research, teaching, and clinical skills, particularly concerning career satisfaction, career management, and collegial networking. Launch teams (mentees, mentors, Dr. Ross and Dr. Schaeffer) will focus on key aspects of faculty growth and development. The goals, metrics, and deliverables for each meeting and academic year will be developed by the early career faculty member with their Launch Team.
Suggested areas of focus for meetings and deliverables include:
- Clinical: case mix, clinical volume, resources, scheduling, acquisition of new techniques, OR block time
- Education: development of teaching skills, formal teaching roles within Department and Institution
- Leadership: management and organizational skills, career goals, professional strengths, leadership education and development
- Promotion Planning: metrics to achieve, references and support, timing and trajectory
- Academic (Optional Track): research portfolio and focus, grant writing and funding, resources and space, utilization of resources and funding
Timeline
Mentors and mentees will meet bimonthly during the first year of the program followed by quarterly meetings in years 2 and 3. Participants will also be required to attend a twice-annual group meeting with the entire Launch Team cohort. The group meeting will take place in September and March. The goals, metrics, and deliverables for each meeting and academic year will be developed by the early career faculty member with their Launch Team.
Program Documents
The following documents were designed to support a smooth process for the Launch Team cohort and to evaluate and continuously improve the mentorship program. These documents are password protected and if you are a part of the Launch Team cohort, you should have received the password at the beginning of the program (if you are having any issues locating the password, please email Mildred Okwuedei):
Workbook
The workbook is designed to provide an orientation to the program and mentoring process, sample mentorship meeting agendas, self-assessments, journal templates, and recommended readings and activities. The resources in this workbook are reflective of the focus areas of the program: personal development, professional development, skill development, academic career guidance, and leadership.
Modules
The Launch Team Program includes six training modules that align with key developmental domains for new faculty. Modules are designed to provide a framework for meeting discussions. Modules may be completed in an order that best supports mentee goals. These areas are:
- What is Your Why?
- Building a Clinical Practice
- Becoming an Educator
- Strategic Service
- Mentorship
- Promotion Planning
Optional Modules
- Building Teams and Culture
- Scholarly Work
- 2022-23 Inaugural Launch Team Pairing-Designated Folders- A pairing designated folder was created at the beginning of the program to make it easier for each mentorship pairing to organize and store files.
Access 2022-23 Inaugural Launch Team Pairing-Designated Folders - Mentee Action Plan - To determine activities that ensure mentoring goals are met; a mentee action plan is a must. The mentee will complete the plan with help from the mentor.
Access Mentees action plan - Mentorship Meeting Log - The mentee and mentor should record their meetings and activities to show progress achieved and assist with end-of-program feedback.
Access mentorship meeting logs - Evaluation - At the mid-point of the program and at the end, mentees and mentors will be asked to evaluate the program. Their input will help make any necessary adjustments to ensure the program remains effective.
Access evaluation form
Meet Our Launch Team Cohort for 2022-23
Learn more about the Early Career Launch Program inaugural Launch Team cohort members for 2022-23
Edward M Schaeffer, MD, PhD
Chair, Department of Urology
Harold Binstein Professor of Urology
Professor of Urology
Ziho Lee, MD
Chief of the Division of Trauma and Reconstructive Urology
Robert E Brannigan, MD
Vice Chair of Clinical Urology
Chief of Male Reproductive Medicine & Men's Health
Professor of Urology
Channa A Amarasekera, MD
Assistant Professor of Urology
Joshua J Meeks, MD, PhD
Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD Professor of Urology
Associate Professor of Urology and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Learn more about mentor Joshua J Meeks, MD, PhD.
Shilajit D Kundu, MD
Chief of Urologic Oncology in the Department of Urology
Janice Binstein Professor of Urology
Professor of Urology
Elizabeth B Yerkes, MD
Professor of Urology (Pediatric Urology)
Catherine M Seager, MD
Assistant Professor of Urology (Pediatric Urology)
Learn more about mentee Catherine M Seager, MD
Earl Y Cheng, MD
Chief of Pediatric Urology in the Department of Urology
Founders’ Board Professor of Urology
Professor of Urology (Pediatric Urology)
David I-Wang Chu, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor of Urology (Pediatric Urology)
Faculty Resources
The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine offers numerous resources to assist faculty in pursuing the careers they want. Browse or search the programs, services and resources available to faculty.
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A collection of valuable tools on defining the mentoring relationship, setting goals and career progression.
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Faculty can get to know colleagues, find collaborators and showcase their own career achievements by completing their own profile.
An annual, campus-wide event to promote faculty and trainee development by sharing research and encouraging conversation among colleagues.
A searchable database of research expertise across all disciplines at Northwestern University.
A full listing of all research-related centers throughout the university.
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Provides Feinberg and Northwestern investigators with support in biostatistics, epidemiology, programming and data management.
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These advisers are available to direct investigators to resources that can help them throughout each step of their work.
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Degree Programs
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Education
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A collection of valuable tools on defining the mentoring relationship, setting goals and career progression.
Collaboration and Community
Faculty can get to know colleagues, find collaborators and showcase their own career achievements by completing their own profile.
Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators Block Change description The Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators (FAME) strives to develop faculty members to become more effective educators in all venues and to recognize outstanding educators at the Feinberg School of Medicine
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Degree Programs
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Works with healthcare professionals to develop medical training devices for use in medical education and research.
Resources and Funding
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Clincian
Career Planning
A collection of valuable tools on defining the mentoring relationship, setting goals and career progression.
Collaboration and Community
Faculty can get to know colleagues, find collaborators and showcase their own career achievements by completing their own profile.
A searchable database of research expertise across all disciplines at Northwestern University.
Consultation and Services
Simulation-based education to improve healthcare providers’ cognitive, technical and professional skills.
Degree Programs
This Kellogg School of Management program trains rising leaders in healthcare to also be excellent general managers.
Examines medicine and its ethical implications from the diverse perspectives of the humanities.
Provides graduates with the data and analytic skills needed to address complex, large-scale public health challenges.
A part-time degree featuring evening courses and geared toward medical residents, fellows and junior faculty members.
A two-year, part-time program designed to help educate and develop leaders in the field of quality improvement and patient safety.
A program from STEM professionals who want to better understand and anticipate the legal, regulatory and business implications of their work.
Inventions, Patents, Commercialization and Industry Partnerships
The university’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Portal provides a central location for courses, networking opportunities, workspaces and more
Training, Workshops and Mentored Career Development
A professional development program that aims to equip future leaders with the skills and tools to lead meaningful change.
A 12-month, part-time program that offers an in-depth overview of quality and safety practices for healthcare professionals.
Log in through a Northwestern Medicine network to access these training and development resources.
Log in through a Northwestern Medicine network to access these courses in process improvement and project and change management.
Promotes patient care and safety through accredited education activities based on up-to-date medical information.