How to be a good mentee 7 July 2012 Robert Fuhlbrigge, MD PhD Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology, Harvard Medical School Vice Chair- Research, Department of Dermatology Brigham and Women’s Hospital Director- Research, Program in Rheumatology Children’s Hospital- Boston Faculty Director, Office of Research Careers Brigham and Women’s Hospital

What does “mentor” mean? Odysseus entrusted Mentor with the care of his house and the education of his son, Telemachus, when he set out for the Trojan war – The Odyssey Men-Tee

Mentor: Classic definition Someone of advanced rank or experience who guides, teaches and develops a novice Taking Root in a Forest Clearing: A Resource Guide for Medical Faculty, Carr, Bickel, Inui, eds, Boston University School of Medicine; 2003

How do these situations relate to the mentor/mentee relationship? Mentor-mentee relationships

Mother carries her cub who is passively going along for the ride Mother keeps walking and it is the job of the cub to hold on!

An ideal mentor-mentee relationship is something in between, with both participants putting in effort and the mentor guiding the mentee

Mentorship: A better definition? “A dynamic, reciprocal relationship between an advanced career incumbent (mentor) and a beginner (protégé) aimed at promoting the development of both” Healy and Weelchert, Educ Res, 1990;19:17-21

What is mentoring? “The ideal mentoring relationship can be characterized as a series of mentor-mentee dialogues noted for collaborative critical thinking and planning, mutual participation in specific goal setting and decision making, shared evaluation regarding the results of actions, and joint reflection on the worth of areas identified for progress.” (Galbraith & Maslin-Ostrowski)

Mentoring characteristics among academic trainees and faculty Variable proportion of trainees and faculty have mentors Highly variable mentoring relationships Faculty with more teaching and patient care responsibilities less likely to have mentors than those with research-intensive careers Mitchell et al, Medical Education Online, 2010;15:5063 Women may have more difficulty finding mentors Sambunjak et al, JAMA, 2006;296:

Trainees and (Junior) Faculty identify the need for mentoring Career mentor Scholarly mentor Co-mentors Peer mentors

Does mentoring matter? Mentoring has an important impact on: Personal development Career guidance Career choice Research productivity including – Publications – Grant success Systematic review: Sambunjak et al, JAMA, 2006:296:

Does mentoring matter?

Greater satisfaction with time allocation at work Higher academic self-efficacy : “a belief in one’s ability to accomplish specific goals and tasks” Mitchell et al, Medical Education Online, 2010;15:5063

Do mentee characteristics matter? Active pursuit of mentorship → – more actual mentoring – career success More likely to actively pursue mentoring: – Good internal control – High self-monitoring skills – Emotional stability Turban and Dougherty, Acad Manage J, 1994;37:688

How to be a good mentee? Be proactive!

Be proactive: Find a mentor What to look for/ the ideal mentor

Wise and experienced Thoughtful Good listener Supportive, but challenging Accessible and responsive Provide opportunities and connections Support ‘smart’ risks Sense of humor Not too prescriptive

Be proactive: Prepare for the meeting Questions to ask yourself – What are my goals? – What are my strengths and skill sets? – What are my knowledge/skill gaps? – How can my mentor assist me? Actions – Update your CV, send to your mentor – WRITE goals – short-term, long-term – Review mentor’s profile, publications – Initiate first meeting – Suggest an agenda

General Topics for Discussion (for eg) Career advancement Potential for further training (e.g., Master’s or PhD) Pathway to academic promotion Time management Work/life balance Enhancing professional visibility Understanding institutional structure, politics Negotiating a job offer

More specific topics Identifying potential funding sources Grant writing, scientific writing Issues of authorship, publication, integrity Teaching skills development, curriculum development, teaching portfolios Clinical practice strategies, quality improvement/patient safety initiatives

First meeting: virtual or in person Share backgrounds Review short-term and long-term goals Identify your needs/gaps Identify a ‘developmental network’ – co-mentors, peer mentors, supporters Develop steps toward goals with a timeline Agree on logistics – Frequency of meetings – How to make contact between meetings – Mutual expectations and responsibilities – Confidentiality and no-fault termination

Subsequent meetings Take initiative in making contact with your mentor Confirm the agenda Follow through on responsibilities Keep a check list to track progress: portfolio of activities, works-in-progress Re-evaluate goals and timelines Consider expansion of developmental network Ask questions, reflect on discussion

Provide Feedback to your Mentor

Good luck as you move forward!

Resources Zerzan JT et al; Making the most of mentors: A guide for mentees. Academic medicine 84 (1): , 2009 Ramani S et al; Twelve tips for developing effective mentors. Medical Teacher 28(5): , Detsky AS, Baerlocher MO. Academic mentoring ‐‐ how to give it and how to get it. JAMA. 2007; 297(19): 2134 ‐ 6.

Some topics for discussion Promotion – Career trajectory and skills/deliverables to progress to next level Research – Proposed project: Aims, hypothesis – Challenges – Need for skills – Review mentees’ current mentors. Is there need for others – Institutional/departmental resources Balance and negotiation – Ask questions about family and child care – Discuss preferred timing of milestones in mentee’s career trajectory and changes desired in the balance of activities and career/academic workload – Advise mentee on negotiation strategies with supervisor/division chief, and for fellows, advise on negotiating a job.