Mentor Information

Why be a mentor?

• Opportunity to affect the future; "long after you’ve retired from the world of grants, publications, students and patients, your work will still be going on in those you’ve guided as a mentor."
• Intellectual stimulation

Characteristics of a Mentor

• Senior faculty member
• Expert
• Teacher
• Leader
• Role model
• Guide
• Coach
• Cheerleader
• Moral supporter

Roles of a Mentor

• Coaching
• Emotional support
• Evaluative feedback
• Introductions
• Information/resource
• Advice

Responsibilities of a Mentor

• Encourage and demonstrate confidence in your mentee
• Recognize your mentee as an individual with a private life and value her/him as a person
• Ensure a positive and supportive professional environment for your mentee
• Be liberal with feedback
• Encourage independent behavior, but be willing to invest ample time in your mentee
• Provide accessibility and exposure for your mentee within your own professional circle both within and outside the immediate university circle.
• Illustrate the methodology and importance of "networking" in basic science
• Allow your mentee to assist you with projects, papers and research whenever possible and be generous with credit.

Checklist for Mentors

• First and foremost, remain focused on the overall character development of your Mentee.  Successful people develop grow successful careers.
• Try to be compassionate, caring and mindful that these are tough times for junior faculty members (“You can’t learn from tenured arrogance.”);
• Help the mentee make the transition to the Kansas City area and KUMC environment. 
• Make sure that contacts (preferably through meetings) are maintained on a regular basis, such as once a month;
• Listen. Listen. Listen. Do not give advice unless asked. Some time mentees just need to be heard and mentors should help them find their own solutions.
• Introduce the mentee to the larger academic community and its culture;
  • Provide advice on University and SOM policies;
  • Advise the mentee on how to deal with the pressures and crises of professional life;
  • Suggest strategies for effective teaching;
  • Propose effective ways of interacting with students and colleagues;
  • Read and critique research proposals and papers;
• Advise on submission of papers for publication;
• Encourage the submission of papers for presentation at professional conferences;
• Advise on tenure and promotion requirements and processes, i.e.,
  • Help mentees formulate short-term goals that maximize chances for promotion and tenure as well as long term-term career plans;
  • Suggest strategies for showcasing new work, flag opportunities to obtain institutional support (such as travel funds, release time, or access to equipment), or help a mentee steer clear of political pitfalls.
• Advise on time allocation for patient care, teaching, service and research;
• Provide insight into understanding the clinical setting, classroom, and research setting as a learning environments;
• Provide insight into teaching the scientific/surgical/physical exam, etc.  process;
• Facilitate success in science;
• Refer the mentee to other mentoring resources (the FDC or Project Mentors approved by the FDC) when needed;
• Let the mentee and the FDC Chair know when a relationship needs to be modified, amplified, diminished or terminated;
• Participate in as many program and mentor training functions offered by the department or PDFA as possible.