How to be a Mentee/How to Mentor

Hospitalist Pathway ConferenceSeptember 9, 2014

(with adaptations from Society of Hospitalist Medicine, Academic Hospitalist Academy)

Intro

1. What is a mentor/mentee2. What kinds of mentors are there3. Finding a mentor4. Mentoring others

What is a mentor?

• Old Oxford Dictionary- as common noun: An experienced and trusted adviser.

• Feminist scholars have argued that the concept of mentoring is fundamentally male gendered.

What is a mentee?

The person in receipt of mentorship maybe referred to as a protégé (male), aprotégée (female), an apprentice or, inrecent years, a mentee.

Telemachus and Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey

An Ancient Story

• Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who left for the Trojan War.

• Odysseus placed Mentor and Odysseus‘ foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus.

The real story…

Though the actual Mentor is a somewhat ineffective old man, the Goddess Athena takes on the appearance of Mentor in order toguide young Telemachus in his time of difficulty.

Mentor is female?

Athena also called Pallas Athena, is theGODDESS of wisdom, courage, inspiration,civilization, law and justice, just warfare,mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts,and skill.

Tabletop exercise

What would you like a mentor to do for you?

Hospitalist Burnout

• Arch Int Med, 2011, Glasheen, J.

• Cross-sectional survey of 420 hospitalists at 20 academic med centers– 266 respondents• 67% high levels of

stress• 42% can identify a

mentor

Pediatric Hospitalist Survey

• Ped Hosp, 2012, Pane,L et al• 222 respondents• “I have adequate mentorship in my career”– Only 44% agreed

• Adequate mentorship associated with:– Career satisfaction– Opportunities for promotion– Feeling of value– Increased retention at their hospital

Kinds of mentors

• Few mentors can serve all needs- expect to have more than one– Career mentor/Professional Coach– Project or skills-specific mentor– Mentors-at-a-distance

Special consideration: Peer mentors

• Important but unrecognized resource– Personal benchmarking– Sounding board– Friendship

• Likely not as useful for:– Skill building (teaching you stuff)– Project building (giving you stuff to do)– Career strategy

Career Mentors

• People to help you stay on track• People who give you the 50,000 foot view• People with great ideas who stimulate your

thinking• People who are “connectors” in your

institution• Meet semi-annual

Task (or Project)-Specific Mentors

• Someone who gives you a project• Someone who needs help with a project• *often career and task mentors are a blended

role• Meet weekly-monthly

Mentors-at-a-distance

• Good for impartial opinions (review my CV)• Networking• Compare-contrast different institutions• Remote contact yearly or at national meetings

Effective Mentors

• In general, good mentors those at the late Assistant Professor stage (5-10 yrs on faculty)– Have time and desire to establish themselves– Beware the overextended but prominent

investigator– Has a tract record of mentorship • Note productivity does not always = mentorship

Effective Mentors

• Assess mentee’s skills• Figure out what the mentee can do that is

unique, what can give them a niche• You are your mentee’s “coach”

Shaping your career?

• Decide which people, projects and ideas best fit with your goals and inspire you

• Set up a meeting to facilitate or refine your immediate and/or long-term career goals

The 5-55 minute mentoring session

1. Assess the situation2. Set an agenda3. Assist with ongoing projects4. Career guidance, professional/personal

balance5. Wrap-up, set expectations, schedule next

meeting