In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus left Mentor, an old and trusted
friend, in charge of his household. In that capacity, Mentor guided the growth
and development of Telemachus, Odysseus' son, for the twenty years that
Odysseus spent fighting in and returning from the Trojan War. Historically
then, mentoring was a relationship between a protégé and a more
experienced and wiser friend. While Mentor was a remarkably sagacious advisor,
his personal investment makes clear that this quality lies at the heart of
successful mentoring.
Mentoring may be defined as a relationship, formal and/or informal, between
a novice and one or more senior persons in the field for the purposes of
career and personal development and preparation for leadership.
The topic has received wide attention in the corporate world, where the
benefits of mentoring have been shown in job satisfaction, personal and
professional development, higher wages, and employee retention. Seventy-six
percent of Fortune Magazine's 100 best companies to work for in
America offer mentoring programs compared with 56% of the
rest1.
Mentoring in medicine has usually consisted of an informal, dyadic
relationship between an established scientist and a young, prospective
investigator to develop the research capability of the junior scientist.
Competence in patient care and in teaching, which are other traditional
prerequisites for a successful academic career, is generally assumed.
Increasingly sophisticated research and rapid evolution of the health-care
system have led to expansion of the dyadic model to include a network of
colleagues that cross institutional and geographic boundaries—a college
without walls.
Obstacles to the development of productive mentoring programs include:
A culture that does not favor seeking help. Professional
neophytes, especially those in medical fields, are often unwilling to admit
that they need help or have problems. They are skilled, knowledgeable, and
older than those who embark on business careers. Further, the culture of
medicine is authoritative; physicians expect to direct an encounter rather
than to be directed.Time constraints. Time—an increaingly precious commodity in
medicine—must be set aside by both mentor and mentee apart from that
required for teaching and management of day-to-day issues. Regular, scheduled
sessions are needed to listen, explore options, and move issues along the
lines of defined career goals. Absent such commitment, mentoring relationships
deteriorate into hit-and-run, question-and-answer encounters or die completely
from neglect.The wide range of professional skills required for a mentor. No
one person can provide all needed support at each stage of another's
professional development. A new practitioner needs help with local policies
and politics; later, developing a research program and writing grants may
become priorities. For those who become interested in generic issues and
professional associations, leadership skills may become necessary.Lack of mentoring skills. Good mentors ask thoughtful questions
and avoid imposing their own beliefs on mentees—cloning is not a goal.
They must be able to think outside the box of focal medical knowledge and
technology in favor of broader issues and differing goals and lifestyles.
Their role is to inspire and encourage analytic thought—emphasizing
"why" over "how." Those who know how will always have
work to do; the person who directs their effort will be one who understands
why.Lack of institutional support. The absence of visible
reinforcement from chairs and key institutional personnel critically impairs
the effectiveness of mentoring programs. It is probably unwise, however, for
the chair of an academic department to be a primary mentor, since he or she is
directly involved with assessment, promotion, and salary considerations.
Formal mentoring can become counterproductive if mentors also have roles as
supervisors and/or assessors.Other potential problems. Random assignment of mentees to
conscripted mentors produces "forced friendships," which, like
blind dates, sometimes work and sometimes do not. Personality clashes, failure
to establish core values as a basis for career planning, and unrealistic
expectations may also result in unsuccessful mentorships.
A culture that does not favor seeking help. Professional
neophytes, especially those in medical fields, are often unwilling to admit
that they need help or have problems. They are skilled, knowledgeable, and
older than those who embark on business careers. Further, the culture of
medicine is authoritative; physicians expect to direct an encounter rather
than to be directed.
Time constraints. Time—an increaingly precious commodity in
medicine—must be set aside by both mentor and mentee apart from that
required for teaching and management of day-to-day issues. Regular, scheduled
sessions are needed to listen, explore options, and move issues along the
lines of defined career goals. Absent such commitment, mentoring relationships
deteriorate into hit-and-run, question-and-answer encounters or die completely
from neglect.
The wide range of professional skills required for a mentor. No
one person can provide all needed support at each stage of another's
professional development. A new practitioner needs help with local policies
and politics; later, developing a research program and writing grants may
become priorities. For those who become interested in generic issues and
professional associations, leadership skills may become necessary.
Lack of mentoring skills. Good mentors ask thoughtful questions
and avoid imposing their own beliefs on mentees—cloning is not a goal.
They must be able to think outside the box of focal medical knowledge and
technology in favor of broader issues and differing goals and lifestyles.
Their role is to inspire and encourage analytic thought—emphasizing
"why" over "how." Those who know how will always have
work to do; the person who directs their effort will be one who understands
why.
Lack of institutional support. The absence of visible
reinforcement from chairs and key institutional personnel critically impairs
the effectiveness of mentoring programs. It is probably unwise, however, for
the chair of an academic department to be a primary mentor, since he or she is
directly involved with assessment, promotion, and salary considerations.
Formal mentoring can become counterproductive if mentors also have roles as
supervisors and/or assessors.
Other potential problems. Random assignment of mentees to
conscripted mentors produces "forced friendships," which, like
blind dates, sometimes work and sometimes do not. Personality clashes, failure
to establish core values as a basis for career planning, and unrealistic
expectations may also result in unsuccessful mentorships.
Each of the above impediments must be addressed to establish an effective
mentoring program.
For those unwilling to admit that they need help or have problems, the
recognition by the chair or a senior partner that they are expected to have
problems and that acknowledging them is a sign of strength rather than
weakness is reassuring. Those who aspire to leadership in the field must
realize the value of associations with people who have been there and done
that; they must see and hear leaders in orthopaedics and other fields in
different parts of the world so that they may better understand and deal with
broader and evolving medical and cultural issues.Traveling fellowships and organizational peer associations have long been
of great value in fostering these relationships. To increase further the
opportunities for potential leaders, the American Orthopaedic Association
(AOA) has recently developed two initiatives: the AOA Governance Leadership
Course to assist those interested in volunteer work with organizations; and,
in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University, the AOA-Kellogg Leadership Series to help surgeons develop the
organizational skills to act productively both within and outside the practice
setting.For young investigators searching for grant information and/or
collaborators, the Web site of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) is a
valuable resource. The ORS also has a Mentoring Committee charged with
developing and implementing ways to facilitate the careers of incipient
musculoskeletal scientists, for whom they have held two grant-writing
workshops.A formal mentoring affiliation entails meetings at least quarterly for the
first year when both parties are free of other duties, allowing sufficient
time to permit full discussion of professional and personal issues. Help with
educational topics, such as curriculum development, instructional techniques,
and evaluation, is usually available in the institution's office of
educational or faculty development.For all sessions, preliminary preparation by both parties is essential for
productive meetings, and it should be clearly understood that, if the
relationship is not working, either party can request an alternative partner
without recrimination.At the end of the second year, the accomplishments of the relationship
should be evaluated by the collection of both subjective and objective
data.For organizations with large programs that include long-distance mentoring
support, a Web-based approach may be useful. Such systems allow both mentee
and mentor to enter data defining their needs and skill sets, and they permit
coordinators to monitor progress and measure success. Both formal and informal
programs are available and greatly reduce the time required for programmatic
development and
coordination3.The professional skills of mentors can be improved by national-level
workshops and symposia covering the matching of mentors and mentees, the
formulation of a written academic development plan with short-term (one-year)
and long-term (five-year) goals, defining the academic skills needed by
mentees, the writing of grants and scientific papers, curriculum development,
preparation of the teaching portfolio, and the level and type of support
needed from the department and institution.Because of the diverse and evolving needs of young physicians, mentors must
be able and willing to put mentees in contact with secondary mentors who can
deal with needs that lie outside their own areas of interest or
experience.The interpersonal aspects of mentoring are critical. Mentors must be
committed both to the concept of mentoring and to the mentee. Most new
practitioners have served as teachers, advisors, and role models for students
and residents. Mentoring includes these functions, but a good mentor is more
than that. Good mentors bring to the table the experience of an examined life.
They must be creative listeners who encourage and enable mentees to find their
own path, using understanding and empathy more than
direction—remembering that mentors are not all-knowing and that their
own solutions or suggestions may not be as well-suited for persons with
different backgrounds, personalities, or gender. One size does not fit
all.In addition to clear and ongoing support of time, effort, and process, the
senior associate or departmental chair, as part of the orientation for new
members, should make clear the expectation that each will select a primary
mentor, usually within the department, for which brief biographical sketches
that include special areas of interest and experience are made available.The first few sessions are crucial to the success of any mentoring
relationship, especially if the partners are different genders or ethnicities
or there is a large age gap. Establishment and regular review of core values
and career plans are essential, although—as with all
goal-setting—strict adherence to initial goals is unnecessary if more
vital priorities arise. Early in the course of the meetings, realistic
expectations and limitations for the relationship should be discussed by both
parties, along with the assurance of confidentiality. Personality clashes or
mismatched goals and interests must be recognized early and corrected by
reassignment.
For those unwilling to admit that they need help or have problems, the
recognition by the chair or a senior partner that they are expected to have
problems and that acknowledging them is a sign of strength rather than
weakness is reassuring. Those who aspire to leadership in the field must
realize the value of associations with people who have been there and done
that; they must see and hear leaders in orthopaedics and other fields in
different parts of the world so that they may better understand and deal with
broader and evolving medical and cultural issues.
Traveling fellowships and organizational peer associations have long been
of great value in fostering these relationships. To increase further the
opportunities for potential leaders, the American Orthopaedic Association
(AOA) has recently developed two initiatives: the AOA Governance Leadership
Course to assist those interested in volunteer work with organizations; and,
in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University, the AOA-Kellogg Leadership Series to help surgeons develop the
organizational skills to act productively both within and outside the practice
setting.
For young investigators searching for grant information and/or
collaborators, the Web site of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) is a
valuable resource. The ORS also has a Mentoring Committee charged with
developing and implementing ways to facilitate the careers of incipient
musculoskeletal scientists, for whom they have held two grant-writing
workshops.
A formal mentoring affiliation entails meetings at least quarterly for the
first year when both parties are free of other duties, allowing sufficient
time to permit full discussion of professional and personal issues. Help with
educational topics, such as curriculum development, instructional techniques,
and evaluation, is usually available in the institution's office of
educational or faculty development.
For all sessions, preliminary preparation by both parties is essential for
productive meetings, and it should be clearly understood that, if the
relationship is not working, either party can request an alternative partner
without recrimination.
At the end of the second year, the accomplishments of the relationship
should be evaluated by the collection of both subjective and objective
data.
For organizations with large programs that include long-distance mentoring
support, a Web-based approach may be useful. Such systems allow both mentee
and mentor to enter data defining their needs and skill sets, and they permit
coordinators to monitor progress and measure success. Both formal and informal
programs are available and greatly reduce the time required for programmatic
development and
coordination3.
The professional skills of mentors can be improved by national-level
workshops and symposia covering the matching of mentors and mentees, the
formulation of a written academic development plan with short-term (one-year)
and long-term (five-year) goals, defining the academic skills needed by
mentees, the writing of grants and scientific papers, curriculum development,
preparation of the teaching portfolio, and the level and type of support
needed from the department and institution.
Because of the diverse and evolving needs of young physicians, mentors must
be able and willing to put mentees in contact with secondary mentors who can
deal with needs that lie outside their own areas of interest or
experience.
The interpersonal aspects of mentoring are critical. Mentors must be
committed both to the concept of mentoring and to the mentee. Most new
practitioners have served as teachers, advisors, and role models for students
and residents. Mentoring includes these functions, but a good mentor is more
than that. Good mentors bring to the table the experience of an examined life.
They must be creative listeners who encourage and enable mentees to find their
own path, using understanding and empathy more than
direction—remembering that mentors are not all-knowing and that their
own solutions or suggestions may not be as well-suited for persons with
different backgrounds, personalities, or gender. One size does not fit
all.
In addition to clear and ongoing support of time, effort, and process, the
senior associate or departmental chair, as part of the orientation for new
members, should make clear the expectation that each will select a primary
mentor, usually within the department, for which brief biographical sketches
that include special areas of interest and experience are made available.
The first few sessions are crucial to the success of any mentoring
relationship, especially if the partners are different genders or ethnicities
or there is a large age gap. Establishment and regular review of core values
and career plans are essential, although—as with all
goal-setting—strict adherence to initial goals is unnecessary if more
vital priorities arise. Early in the course of the meetings, realistic
expectations and limitations for the relationship should be discussed by both
parties, along with the assurance of confidentiality. Personality clashes or
mismatched goals and interests must be recognized early and corrected by
reassignment.
Mentoring partnerships in medicine need not be permanent relationships.
They are intended to support professional integration without long-term
obligations from either party, although such associations are often continued
informally as the mentee continues to develop his or her career and to utilize
other resources both in and beyond institutional boundaries.