Page 32 - Recommendations-for-biostatisticians-in-managing-and-conducting-medical-research-consultations

6.3 To be guided by a mentor or an effective

mentoring network

The learning process for a biostatistician can be shortened if there is an experienced
mentor who is willing to guide him/her whenever he/she encounters any difficulties in
conducting research or performing statistical analysis(es). It is usually not necessary for a
biostatistician to have a formal mentor; however, it is still worthwhile to receive proper
mentorship by maintaining a close network of many experienced biostatisticians from a
wide variety of research settings. Therefore, it is always recommended for a junior
biostatistician to actively participate in scientific meetings, seminars and conferences
related to biostatistics, in order to get to know the “guru” or subject matter experts in the
relevant fields of biostatistics.

In addition, the junior biostatistician can also benefit greatly by learning about the
latest developments in the fields of research related in biostatistics, and also by
maintaining a close network of biostatisticians with the relevant working experience who
can always render any assistance which becomes necessary in the future.