The ABC’s of Mentorship in Medical Education: Awareness, Benefits, and Challenges
Main Article Content
Abstract
Mentorship, bridging experience and aspiration, is vital in higher education and sectors like medicine. Although recognized as a "dynamic, mutually beneficial relationship," there's a gap between its acknowledged significance and real-world implementation. This article delves into mentorship's Awareness, Benefits, and Challenges from both the mentor's and mentee's perspectives.
Effective mentorship hinges on mutual respect, shared values, and understanding. Mentors, navigating roles from teachers to sponsors, must possess skills like honesty, commitment, and the capability to manage diversity and power dynamics. They are tasked with blending career advice with psychosocial backing. Conversely, mentees should exhibit proactivity, clarity in objectives, and value comprehension. The mentor-mentee bond thrives on shared principles, but it's the amalgamation of these values with diverse insights that propels growth, underpinned by genuine involvement and trust.
Both mentors and mentees reap immense benefits from their alliance. Mentors experience personal evolution, heightened motivation, and the euphoria of seeing their mentees thrive, enhancing their professional networks. Mentees gain early career support from someone earnestly rooting for their success. This relationship is synergistic: mentees bring fresh perspectives, while mentors contribute their vast experience, jointly amplifying productivity and cultivating a relationship rooted in shared growth.
Despite its merits, mentorship has its hurdles. Mentors often juggle time pressures, battle self-doubt, and weigh the repercussions of their mentee's achievements or setbacks. They must harness vulnerability, acknowledging they can't resolve every dilemma but should steer growth. For mentees, the mentor selection process can be overwhelming, and initiating the relationship might be intimidating. Open dialogue and clear boundaries are paramount. Occasionally, mentorship ties need termination due to misalignments or changing roles, necessitating careful handling. In sum, while mentorship offers profound rewards in medical education, it demands dedication, adaptability, and confronting challenges to genuinely shape participants' futures.
Article Details
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
2. Godfrey M, Benson A. Seeds of doubt: How the source of mentorship initiation influences mentoring expectations. Curr Psychol. 2023;42(16):13358-13368. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-02573-y
3. Radha Krishna LK, Renganathan Y, Tay KT, et al. Educational roles as a continuum of mentoring’s role in medicine – a systematic review and thematic analysis of educational studies from 2000 to 2018. BMC Med Educ. 2019;19(1):439. doi:10.1186/s12909-019-1872-8
4. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Policy and Global Affairs; Board on Higher Education and Workforce, Committee on Effective Mentoring in STEMM. The Science of Mentoring Relationships: What Is Mentorship? In: Dahlberg M, Byars-Winston A, eds. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM. 2nd ed. National Academies Press; 2019. Accessed October 28, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK552775/
5. Straus SE, Johnson MO, Marquez C, Feldman MD. Characteristics of Successful and Failed Mentoring Relationships: A Qualitative Study Across Two Academic Health Centers. Academic Medicine. 2013;88(1):82-89. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e31827647a0
6. Sambunjak D, Straus SE, Marušić A. Mentoring in Academic Medicine: A Systematic Review. JAMA. 2006;296(9):1103. doi:10.1001/jama.296.9.1103
7. Johnson WB. The intentional mentor: Strategies and guidelines for the practice of mentoring. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 2002;33(1):88-96. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.33.1.88
8. Myers PL, Amalfi AN, Ramanadham SR. Mentorship in Plastic Surgery: A Critical Appraisal of Where We Stand and What We Can Do Better. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2021;148(3):667-677. doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000008295
9. Gandhi M, Johnson M. Creating More Effective Mentors: Mentoring the Mentor. AIDS Behav. 2016;20(S2):294-303. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1364-3
10. Blake-Beard S, Shapiro M, Ingols C. A Model for Strengthening Mentors: Frames and Practices. IJERPH. 2021;18(12):6465. doi:10.3390/ijerph18126465
11. LaFleur AK, White BJ. Appreciating Mentorship: The Benefits of Being a Mentor. Professional Case Management. 2010;15(6):305-311. doi:10.1097/NCM.0b013e3181eae464
12. Gonser S. The Qualities of Exceptional Mentor Teachers. Edutopia. Published online July 29, 2022. https://www.edutopia.org/article/qualities-exceptional-mentor-teachers/
13. Straus SE, Chatur F, Taylor M. Issues in the Mentor–Mentee Relationship in Academic Medicine: A Qualitative Study: Academic Medicine. 2009;84(1):135-139. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e31819301ab
14. Orr CJ, McLaurin-Jiang S, Jamison SD. Diversity of Mentorship to Increase Diversity in Academic Pediatrics. Pediatrics. 2021;147(4):e20193286. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-3286
15. Mendez SL, Tygret JA, Conley VM, Keith R, Haynes C, Gerhardt R. Emeriti faculty as mentors: the benefits and rewards of mentoring the next generation. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. 2019;27(4):439-457. doi:10.1080/13611267.2019.1649921
16. Pink D. Drive. Canongate Books; 2009.
17. Erikson EH. The Life Cycle Completed. W. W. Norton & Company; 1982.
18. Orenstein G, Lewis L. Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development. Published online November 7, 2022. Accessed October 28, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556096/
19. Johnson WB. On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty. Second Edition. Routledge; 2016.
20. Scott ME. Designing Effective Mentoring Programs: Historical Perspectives and Current Issues. The Journal of Humanistic Education and Development. 1992;30(4):167-177. doi:10.1002/j.2164-4683.1992.tb00053.x
21. Ray J, Marken S. Life in College Matters for Life After College: New Gallup-Purdue study looks at links among college, work, and well-being. Published May 6, 2014. https://news.gallup.com/poll/168848/life-college-matters-life-college.aspx
22. Higgins MC, Dobrow SR, Chandler D. Never quite good enough: The paradox of sticky developmental relationships for elite university graduates. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 2008;72(2):207-224. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2007.11.011
23. Shen MR, Tzioumis E, Andersen E, et al. Impact of Mentoring on Academic Career Success for Women in Medicine: A Systematic Review. Academic Medicine. 2022;97(3):444-458. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000004563
24. Henry-Noel N, Bishop M, Gwede CK, Petkova E, Szumacher E. Mentorship in Medicine and Other Health Professions. J Canc Educ. 2019;34(4):629-637. doi:10.1007/s13187-018-1360-6
25. Eby LT, Allen TD, Evans SC, Ng T, DuBois DL. Does mentoring matter? A multidisciplinary meta-analysis comparing mentored and non-mentored individuals. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 2008;72(2):254-267. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2007.04.005
26. Erlacher J. Why Vulnerability Matters in Mentoring. Leading Tomorrow. Published January 12, 2018. Accessed October 28, 2023. https://www.leadingtomorrow.org/blog/the-need-for-vulnerability-in-mentoring#:~:text=Mentors%20need%20to%20be%20willing%20to%20express%20humility,an%20ability%20to%20communicate%20at%20a%20deeper%20level