The FIT mentor experience included several outstanding interactions that were personally rewarding and professionally refreshing. The FIT mentees were a highly motivated group of individuals with the sparkle present in most young faculty. They saw a role for their contributions toward making things better for patients who suffer from disease. They also recognized the opportunity to establish a professional focus that will allow them to gain experience and recognition to advance their individual professional goals. Although many new faculty have these ambitions, some are encouraged to pursue broad professional goals that assist their degree programs and institutions; however, such broad goals can distract from individual development and focus. The 1-week FIT Program provided the opportunity that all new faculty need: a chance to focus while receiving guidance from those who have previously traveled this road.

In addition to the energy of these faculty seeking to advance their careers, the opportunity to join with a group of experienced researchers from around the country and to seek a common outcome of fostering success among the next generation of faculty was a welcome change from the usual frenzied pace of a professional meeting, where most interactions with investigators occur in the context of questions following platform presentations. It is interesting to observe others who have struggled to succeed in the peer-reviewed funding world and to relate to their prior frustrations as well as to learn new approaches to the challenges faced by all who seek federal funding to support their scholarly activity.