{"id":342,"date":"2023-01-22T14:31:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-22T14:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/student-research\/?page_id=342"},"modified":"2025-07-20T20:48:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T20:48:02","slug":"tips-on-building-and-sustaining-the-mentor-mentee-relationship","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/student-research\/tips-on-building-and-sustaining-the-mentor-mentee-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips on Building and Sustaining the Mentor\/Mentee Relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Special thanks to Amaka Okorie, Geisel '24<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tips for Being a Mentee<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of us have benefited from excellent mentors who have given their time, expertise and guidance to help us develop to our fullest potential.\u00a0 In this tip, I\u2019d like to focus on strategies to use as a mentee to maximize your gain from your relationship with your mentor.<\/p>\n

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  1. Be the driver<\/strong>. Mentors are busy people who have many competing demands.\u00a0 You\u2019ll get the biggest bang for your buck if you take ownership and responsibility for determining what to discuss in the mentorship meeting.\u00a0 Come prepared; identify in advance the ways in which this particular mentor might be able to help you before your meeting. It\u2019s also important to evaluate your mentor-mentee relationship intermittently to ensure that it is helping you meet your goals; don\u2019t stay in a relationship out of obligation. \u00a0There are tools that can help you evaluate the utility of a particular mentor relationship.<\/li>\n
  2. Let yourself struggle a little \u2013 but not too much \u2014 before asking for help. <\/strong>You\u2019ll learn and develop more if you take risks and try to solve some problems on your own.\u00a0 On the other hand, you won\u2019t be productive if you spend too much time stymied by a road block.\u00a0 The balance between reaching out and struggling through is dependent on the particular mentor-mentee relationship; don\u2019t be afraid to ask for feedback in your mentorship meeting about this.<\/li>\n
  3. Show gratitude for, and be respectful of your mentors time<\/strong>. Your mentor is a busy person.\u00a0 If you\u2019re hoping to submit an abstract or you need your mentor to write you a recommendation letter, make sure to allow a reasonable amount of time.\u00a0 One week is the minimum to review an abstract; several weeks are necessary for a letter of recommendation.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not sure, check-in with your mentor about what a reasonable amount of time might be for the task.<\/li>\n
  4. Be enthusiastic and accountable<\/strong>. Having a positive attitude and being accountable goes a long way.\u00a0 Set specific, measurable goals with deadlines, and then meet the deadlines you set!\u00a0 If you didn\u2019t meet the deadline, be clear about why not.<\/li>\n
  5. Have regular meetings and take notes during these meetings<\/strong>. Meeting regularly is a key component of mentorship. Take notes during your meetings.\u00a0 Some experts recommend keeping a \u201cmentoring journal\u201d where you keep all of your notes in one place.<\/li>\n
  6. Be open to feedback and remember feedback is bidirectional<\/strong>. Be open to feedback and try to see it as opportunities for growth and development.\u00a0 If your mentor edits your writing and there\u2019s more red than black, don\u2019t take the editing personally.\u00a0 \u00a0Also, remember that you can give your mentor feedback; UCSF has a template for feedback that is helpful.<\/li>\n
  7. Mutually agree on format of communication. <\/strong>Your mentor might mostly communicate through email and may not use text messages for professional interactions.\u00a0 Have a conversation early in your relationship to understand your mentors preferred method of communication.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Straus SE, Chatur F, Taylor M. Issues in the mentor\u2013mentee relationship in academic medicine: A qualitative study.\u00a0Academic medicine.\u00a0<\/em>2009;84(1):135-139.<\/p>\n

    Straus SE, Johnson MO, Marquez C, Feldman MD. Characteristics of successful and failed mentoring relationships: a qualitative study across two academic health centers.\u00a0Academic medicine: journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.\u00a0<\/em>2013;88(1):82.<\/p>\n

    Moores LK, Holley AB, Collen JF. Working With a Mentor: Effective Strategies During Fellowship and Early Career.\u00a0Chest.\u00a0<\/em>2018;153(4):799-804.<\/p>\n

    Wadhwa V, Nagy P, Chhabra A, Lee CS. How effective are your mentoring relationships? Mentoring quiz for residents.\u00a0Current problems in diagnostic radiology.\u00a0<\/em>2017;46(1):3-5.<\/p>\n

    Faculty Mentoring Toolkit.\u00a0https:\/\/facultyacademicaffairs.ucsf.edu\/faculty-life\/mentoring-resources\/UCSF-Faculty-Mentoring-Program-Toolkit-11.02.17.pdf<\/a> Accessed April 6, 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n