Academic mentoring and family medicine's research productivity.

The research productivity of family medicine faculty has been the focus of numerous faculty development interventions, including skills training, fellowships, and seminars. Mentorship relationships between junior and senior faculty may be another strategy for achieving optimal productivity. The available literature from a number of disciplines is reviewed to describe the potential of the process, and recommendations are outlined for junior and senior faculty. Department chairs who choose to use mentorship as a faculty development strategy are encouraged to follow these recommendations as well.