Development of the role and scope of an academic mentorship network for health professionals working with people with rheumatological and musculoskeletal conditions across Europe

In 2014, the European HPs in Rheumatology identified academic mentoring as a key development opportunity for the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) HP community. The rationale for developing a EULAR academic mentorship programme included:• To support EULAR HPs to develop academic skills;• To share the academic expertise across EULAR HPmembers;• To continue the development of a EULAR communityof HPs;• To continue the development of mentorship skills in rheumatology care across Europe. An academic mentorship working party of HPs from different professional backgrounds and different European countries was convened in December 2014 (JA, RG, RM, YvE). Objectives were defined by the working party included:• To consider and develop a working definition of the role and scope of a EULAR HP mentor;• To identify the various possible approaches and components for mentorship to enable a tailored approach for potential mentees• To provide a guide for the qualities and qualifications of a potential EULAR HP mentor• To discuss how to establish a potential mechanism for identifying mentees.