25 May 2020

New peer groups to support wellbeing at BRIC

The reopening of our labs from Wednesday is great news! However, staff with computer/office-based work still have to work from home and even for those coming back, life is not back to normal with rules on social distancing and gathering of larger groups.

To support wellbeing and motivation, new peer support initiatives are kickstarted at BRIC/Finsen. A peer mentoring group for the second iMED cohort was started last Wednesday and ASAP is arranging a LEAN IN peer mentoring group, free for all at BRIC/Finsen to join! If you wish to participate in the LEAN IN peer group arranged by ASAP, please contact Nico Zaghet (nico.zaghet@bric.ku.dk) no later than May 29th. A kick-off meeting will be planned following.

Peer mentoring groups offering peer-to-peer sparring, have been greatly appreciated at BRIC before. We have talked to PhD-student Krzysztof Bartlomiej Piotrowski (Kveiborg group) who participates in a peer group for the first iMED cohort, and asked about his experiences with peer mentoring groups.

Maintaining motivation & skill development


As the name suggests, the aim of mentoring peer groups is to offer peer-to-peer sparring and support. For the peer groups among the first iMED cohort, the subjects discussed have changed along with the group individuals’ career development or life situation, keeping the debates relevant and up to date:

We started with three icebreaking meetings and then moved to discuss transferable skills such as time management, public speaking and many more. Recently, we have also discussed work during the COVID-19 crisis, maintaining mental health in such challenging times, and ways to organize our work in these unusual conditions.” - Krzysztof Piotrowski.

The common turning point of the peer groups have been to discuss work related topics and skill development, whether that is transferable skills, career development etc. However, the peer groups also offer an opportunity to share personal experiences, which proves to be a motivational booster. Especially during the lockdown, it is important to know that you are not alone with your frustrations. Krzysztof points this out, when asked about the benefits of the peer group format:

I could mention developing certain skills and so on, however I believe that sharing our personal experiences in regards to the topic that we discuss during an individual meeting is more important. It is knowing that other people experience the same or at least similar struggles. This knowledge helps maintaining motivation and adapting the expectations we put on ourselves despite still being at the early stage of our careers.” - Krzysztof Piotrowski.

Equal discussions with no hierarchy

Peer mentoring groups prove to be a useful tool to support wellbeing and professional sparring, but how does it differ from the daily discussions with other colleagues? As a scientist, Krzysztof is involved in academic discussions and sparring on a daily basis, so we asked Krzysztof if peer mentoring groups differ from other discussions at meetings or in the lab:  

The main difference is the lack of hierarchy. All of us are at the same stage of our careers, so our opinions, advice and struggles are more relatable and more open to discussion. That helps by adding different viewpoints and talking more about all the things that surround our projects – group interactions, presentations, obtaining new skills, etc.”- Krzysztof Piotrowski.

The peer mentoring groups for the iMED cohorts are mandatory, and only open to iMED students, but the new LEAN IN mentoring peer groups will be available to all at BRIC/Finsen. Here, career stages and situation may be more varied, but trust and a hierarchical flat structure are also here bearing principles that are build in the initial meetings. This LEAN IN initiative is arranged by ASAP – If you wish to participate in the LEAN IN peer group, please contact Nico Zaghet (nico.zaghet@bric.ku.dk) no later than May 29th