To be an effective mentor at any level is always a challenge and requires a dedication to teaching and mentorship and being prepared to devote a significant proportion of one’s time. But if you are open-minded and deeply care for your mentee, you have the opportunity to be a successful mentor. This presentation is based on personal experience of mentoring radiology residents, doctoral students, and post doctoral students for several years.
The word mentor comes from Mentor, who was friend of Odysseus’, entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. “Mentoring is a process for the informal transmission of knowledge, social capital, and the psychosocial support perceived by the recipient as relevant to work, career, or professional development; mentoring entails informal communication, usually face-to-face and during a sustained period of time, between a person who is perceived to have greater relevant knowledge, wisdom, or experience (the mentor) and a person who is perceived to have less (the protégé, the mentee)” . To achieve the goals of your mentorship, you need to have an interest in teaching and mentoring, be prepared to devote your time, and be patient. It is your privilege to set the basic goals for your mentee whether these are conducting a research study, writing and presenting an abstract at a meeting, writing a peer-reviewed paper, learning about networking and social skills in the academic word, or more commonly a mixture of all. However, you need to be open-minded if you want to succeed as a mentor. You have to be able to present high but realistic goals, present the means to reach those goals, have a vision, and be able to support the mentee to reach those goals, and to grow as an individual. To set high goals but not provide the support the mentor needs will only discourage the mentee, making him or her feel incompetent and that he or she has failed, and the mentee may lose interest in a research career. Lack of support cannot be compensated for by lowering goals . This approach will not help the mentee to grow in a profession or as an individual, thus negating having a mentor.
This presentation will focus on some basic concepts and ideas that can help to make you a successful mentor and enlighten your mentees. The majority of what will be presented is based on my own experience as a mentee and from years of experience as a mentor for radiology residents and fellows, as well as for doctoral and postdoctoral students both in the United States and Sweden. I will discuss the role of a mentor, what qualities you need to succeed as a mentor, knowing your limitations, and when and how to terminate the mentor–mentee relationship.
What is the major role of a mentor of radiology residents in clinical and translational research?
The answer about the role of a mentor to a radiology resident may vary depending on who you ask: senior or junior faculty, program chair, department chair, or individual resident. I believe that the overall goal should be to introduce the resident to the field of clinical and translational research, but even more importantly to teach him or her what research is about, how to perform good scientific research, and to understand the time and effort commitment that underlies quality research. Other important roles as a mentor are to introduce the resident to a feasible project, teach the skill of writing a peer-reviewed abstract for submission to (and presentation at) a society meeting, and how to write a manuscript. An important role is teaching and mentoring residents to present their research in public. Other important roles are demonstrating the value of networking, and conveying some basic social skills that will be helpful not only in the academic world but also in their daily practice . The main reasons to mentor are shown in Table 1 .
Table 1
The Main Reasons to Mentor
Helps residents/junior staff settle into the institution. Enables experienced, highly competent professionals to pass their expertise on to others who need to acquire specified skills (ie, skills enhancement). Helps residents who are early in their careers to understand what it means to be a professional in their working environment. Professionals embody the values of the profession and are self-initiating and self-regulating. Mentors play a key role in defining professional behavior for juniors (ie, help them with their professional identity). Enables career development and helps residents plan, develop, and manage their careers. It also helps them become more resilient and more self-reliant in their careers and more responsible as self-directed learners. Enables leadership and management development by encouraging the development of leadership competencies. These competencies are often more easily gained through example, role-modeling, guided practice, or experience than by formal education and training. Helps bridge the gap between theory and practice. Formal education and training is complemented by the knowledge and hands-on experience of a competent practitioner. Can help communicate the values, vision, and mission of the institution/organization; a one-to-one relationship can help juniors understand the organizational culture and make any necessary changes.
What to consider when mentoring radiology residents in clinical and translational research
As a mentor it is important to understand the rules and regulations of a radiology training program. I think the most important assignment for a mentor is to support the resident and influence him or her positively by demonstrating professionalism both in daily clinical practice and when planning and conducting clinical research . The present curriculum for radiology residents in the United States includes that residents conduct at least one research project and present the results at a meeting and write a manuscript based on the research project . Similar curricular requirements exists for radiology residents in Sweden; this is also an important component in the education of medical students according to the Bologna process of uniform medical education in Europe . Usually residents have limited time to accomplish this part of their curriculum. In a recent survey of radiology residency program directors, the majority (85%) agreed that it was important for residents to have mentors .
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Table 2
Types of Mentors
Career guide Promotes development through career guidance, counseling, and visibility.Information source Provides information about formal and informal expectations.Friend Interacts with the mentee socially and provides information about people.Intellectual guide Promotes an equal relationship, collaborates on research projects, and provides constructive feedback and criticism.
These are four main types of mentors/mentoring styles; mentoring can be a mixture of some or all of these.
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Table 3
Benefits of Mentoring Relationship for the Mentee
The mentee:
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Table 4
Benefits of Mentoring Relationship for the Mentor
The mentor:
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What are the limitations and when is it time to “set the mentee free”?
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