APA's Mentorship Program connects you with peers who offer practical, real-world guidance, not theory or buzzwords. Designed in response to member feedback, this pilot program supports members seeking help with career decisions, leadership development, clinical growth, and academic or research advancement.

Built for busy schedules, the mentor program is flexible. We ask just one thing to make this successful: connect at least once a month to build a meaningful mentoring relationship.

Mentees can select a mentor based on goals and preferences submitted through the application. Mentors will be eligible to support any APA member, including APA Foundation Fellows and Vanguard (formerly SAMHSA) Fellows. They will be matched with a mentee based on their background and experience.

Through one-on-one mentorship, participants build relationships that foster:

• Career confidence
• Professional insight
• Leadership development
• Professional connections

Mentor applications are now open. Those interested in joining as mentees may sign up to receive an alert when the mentee application launches in June 2026. Click here.

Start Your Application  

Academic training information from members' APA profiles, along with responses to a series of questions mentors and mentees answer, and a personal statement are used to generate a mentor/mentee matching algorithm.

Mentees are shown a series of potential matches on their dashboard, along with each match's CV. From there, they review mentor profiles and, with one click, message the mentor who best meets their needs. Once the mentor accepts, the engagement can begin through the workspace on the Mentorship platform.

Mentors: Any member in residency and above. During the pilot phase, the goal is to pair mentees with someone at least one year ahead.

Mentees: Any member, from medical students and beyond.

A meaningful yet manageable commitment:

• Connect at least four times per year, though at least once a month would be ideal
• Set shared goals 
• Engage in meaningful dialogue
• Use the mentorship platform to schedule meetings, track progress, and stay connected

Mentorship is guidance and leadership in action. Mentors can mentor up to three mentees.

• Engage with the next generation of psychiatrists
• Expand your professional network with rising psychiatrists
• Gain new perspectives through mutual learning
• Give back to your profession

You don’t have to navigate your career alone. Mentees can have one mentor.

• Gain personalized guidance from experienced psychiatrists
• Navigate career pathways with confidence
• Build a trusted professional relationship
• Develop leadership skills early in your career
• Expand your professional network within the APA community
• Receive real-world insight on challenges like burnout and work-life balance

Mentor applications are now open. Those interested in joining as mentees may sign up to receive an alert when the mentee application launches in June 2026. Click here.

Start Your Application