Honoring Outstanding Mentors in Science and Medicine

Behind Every Successful Doctor, Nurse, or Scientist….
Ask doctors, nurses or scientists what led them to their chosen field and inevitably you will hear about the one incredible person who was both role model and inspiration.  Mentors are the people who change lives by inspiring students to understand and achieve their potential.   They are the unsung heroes of science and medicine who lead, support, inspire and challenge others to grow and succeed.

A National Award That Recognized the Contribution of Mentors
The McCann Scholars Project was a four year initiative of the Joy McCann Foundation that honored 14 of the nations leading doctors and scientists as outstanding mentors in medicine, nursing and science.  As the first national mentoring award of its kind, the McCann Scholars Project promoted the concept of mentoring and the practice of mentoring by calling attention to outstanding mentors and rewarding their efforts. Each McCann Scholar received $150,000 in recognition of their success as an educator and mentor.  By focusing attention to and bringing mentoring into the spotlight of issues in academic medicine, the McCann Scholars Project sponsored the concept that mentoring efforts are an important component for the future successes of medicine and science. The Joy McCann Foundation considers the goals of the McCann Scholars Project to have been met over the four years of involvement with the esteemed mentors and teachers chosen and as a result there are no current or future plans to continue this project.

Criteria for Selection as a McCann Scholar

McCann Scholars are leading educators in their chosen fields and role models who are dedicated to their students. Among the selection criteria are:

• Demonstrated success as a mentor in teaching, research, and patient.
• Leadership in the academic institution or on behalf of their profession.
• Recognition as a role model for excellence and professionalism.

The McCann Scholars Selection Process

The McCann Foundation invited national leaders in education and the practice of medicine, nursing, and science to nominate Scholars.   The nominators remain unknown to one another, worked independently of one another and remain anonymous to the nominees.

Nominees in medicine, nursing, science and other health professions at all stages in their career were eligible for recognition.   Only candidates submitted by the invited nominators were considered.

A separate Selection Committee evaluated the candidates’ credentials as submitted by the nominators; interviewed peers, students and other individuals; and ranked the nominees for consideration by the Foundation Board. 

The McCann Scholars selection process is anonymous and confidential to assure that awardees were selected completely on merit. The process relies on confidential consultation with those who know the nominees best: their colleagues, students and individuals who have seen these mentors at work. If Foundation staff or Selection Committee members contacted you to inquire about a nominee, your  response was likely used in the selection of the most deserving and outstanding mentors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I nominate someone to be a McCann Scholar?
Only candidates nominated by members of the invited nominators were considered for the McCann Scholars Award. Nominations are not accepted from the public.  Members of the invited nominators are established leaders in academic medicine, science and nursing who have been carefully chosen to ensure a representative voice in the national academic landscape. Because the McCann Scholars Project is no longer an active program, there are no current nominators and no nominations are currently being accepted.

How was someone from my school nominated for a McCann Scholars Award if there was not a nominator at my institution?
Although nominators may have been affiliated with colleges or universities, they were instructed to nominate individuals not based on any institutional affiliation.  Nominated individuals came from institutions all over the nation, regardless of the location or professional affiliation of the nominators.  Nominators were rotated each year, with new nominators added from different geographic regions, institutions and specialties. 

Why has someone called me regarding a McCann Scholars nomination?
The McCann Scholars award places great emphasis on mentoring and other skills that are best known by those who have been taught by, learned from or worked with someone on an individual basis.  For this reason, during the review of nominations comments are solicited by those who have had close professional and academic contact with the nominee.  Your name may have been given as a reference by a nominator, suggested by someone else contacted for a reference or come up during a review of the nominee’s academic and professional background.

What happens when I give comments on someone who has been nominated for a McCann Scholars Award?
If you have been contacted, we ask that you assist the program in honoring outstanding mentors by offering sincere comments on the nominated individual in regards to the criteria of the award.  Any insights you offer will be shared with the selection committee in an anonymous format.  Your name will be held in strict confidence and neither the selection committee nor the nominated individual will at any time know that you have been contacted. We also ask that you respect the confidentiality of the award process by not alerting the nominee or anyone else of their nomination.

Will there be new McCann Scholars?  
The McCann Scholars Project was a four year initiative of the Joy McCann Foundation and is no longer an active program.  Therefore, the only McCann Scholars are the fourteen individuals listed on this site.  The Joy McCann Foundation considers the goals of the McCann Scholars Project to have been met over the four years of involvement with the esteemed mentors and teachers chosen.  The Project’s interactions with medical schools and the academic medicine and science communities nationwide have been fruitful for inspiring further contemplation of the importance of mentoring to the advancement of these fields. There are no current or future plans to continue the McCann Scholars Project.

For detailed information about individual McCann Scholars, please see Scholars Gallery.