Nondiscrimination Policy Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To read our full Nondiscrimination Statement, click here.

Language

Sponsorship

Sponsorship

Noun

Sponsorship is using your influential role to provide access to opportunities and networks to expand a person’s visibility and facilitate career advancement. It is a “professional relationship that focuses on career advancement and rests on power.” In contrast to mentorship, which is longitudinal, sponsorship can be an one-time event “that is critical for high-level advancement”1. 

“Sponsorship is perceived to be critical to high-level advancement and is experienced differently by women” 1. The literature supports that women in academic medicine have fewer experiences with high-quality sponsorship than men, which puts them at a disadvantage when trying to advance in their careers and perpetuates inequities in leadership. This phenomena also effects non-binary people and may be additive to other structurally marginalized identities (click here for more information on intersectionality).

Broadly, sponsorship activities should boost the sponsees’ visibility and reputation, and provide opportunities for activities they may not otherwise have access to, such as “invite-only” committees, leadership opportunities, national and international speaking engagements, authorship on high-impact publications, etc.

See the Gender Equity Advisory Council’s Sponsorship Tip Sheet for more information.

Source

1Levine, R.B., Ayyala, M.S., Skarupski, K.A. et al. “It’s a Little Different for Men”—Sponsorship and Gender in Academic Medicine: a Qualitative Study. J GEN INTERN MED 36, 1–8 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-05956-2

The Glossary for Culture Transformation is a living document to be revised on an annual basis.

Suggested Citation: Office of Equity, Vitality, and Inclusion, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, and Boston University Medical Group. Glossary for Culture Transformation. 2021.

For questions or suggestions, please email wordsmatter@bu.edu