Mentorship

Mentorship by Dr. Paul Anderson, MD

A mentor is a person who conveys wisdom and shares knowledge to one who is less experienced. The term mentor is derived from Greek mythology. Mentor was the son of Alcimus, a friend of Odysseus, who appeared in the epic poem The Odyssey. While Odysseus was fighting the Trojan war, his son Telemachus was sent to Mentor for guidance, protection, and education. The Goddess Athena materialized as Mentor, and guided Telemachus regarding his personal challenges. Notably, this led to Telemachus to protect his mother, Penelope the wife of the absent Odysseus, and eventually slay a cohort of suitors.

In the medical profession Mentoring has been practiced since antiquity. Zusan noted that “Mentorship provides developer of talent, a teacher of skills, and knowledge of the discipline, an assistant in defining goals, and the one who shares social and professional values”.1 Important characteristics of a mentor can be summarized with acronym “MENTOR”.2 A mentor provides Motivation, Empowers and encouragement, Nurtures self-confidence, teaches by example, Offers wise consul, Raises the performance bar, Shine reflective light.

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Effective mentors are role models much like parents and require certain characteristics to be effective.3 Empathy for the mentee is based on one’s personal character but also communication of understanding what the mentee is facing in life and personal development. The mentor needs to be available, open minded, and be communicative. A mentor does not need to perceived as a leader in the field, but rather as credible and one of high moral and ethical standards.  Finally,  a mentor should be able to empowered the mentee and understand the varying background beliefs and experiences of the mentee.

The mentor mentee relationship is synergistic. The mentor benefits the most from satisfaction of the success of the mentee. Further the mentor benefits by further professional development, exposure to new ideas and a new generation of leaders, increased job satisfaction, and building greater professional network.

The success of mentorship opportunities is based on setting agreed upon goals and expectations. Important considerations are professional and personal growth and overcoming adversities. Other goals could be for advancement on profession, developing leadership, research or advanced clinical skills. Expectations include formal meeting schedules, setting timelines, and establishing boundaries.

  1. Zusan E, Vaughan A, Welling RE. Guest Editorial Mentorship in a Community-Based Residency Program.
  2. Souba WW. Mentoring Young Academic Surgeons, Our Most Precious Asset.; 1999. http://www.idealibrary.com
  3. Honavar SG. Mentoring is a serious business. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019;67(12):1915. doi:10.4103/IJO.IJO_2161_19

Tales of Mentorship

Stories of Mentor, Telemachus, and Athena embody the timeless tradition of mentorship, a tradition that each of us has benefitted from. Some of us have had contractual mentor-mentee relationships, others informal work arrangements. Mentorship is something we often recognize even when we can’t easily define it. Stories are the best way to capture its essence, and we are excited to introduce a new feature in our newsletter: Tales of Mentorship. We will highlight personal stories from our members, celebrating the guidance and support they’ve received throughout their journey in the bone health field. ISCD mentors inspire and ensure the next generation grows and thrives in our community.

A. Lee Day, MD, CCD
Chair
Marketing, Communications and Membership Committee

During my rheumatology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I met Dr. Sarah Morgan, a past president of the ISCD and one of my most impactful mentors. From our first meeting, she taught me how to improve as a clinician, especially in managing patients with osteoporosis.

Dr. Morgan dedicated a great deal of time to teaching our group of fellows about quality bone densitometry. Her enthusiasm for the subject was infectious, inspiring me to extend my initial six months of osteoporosis training into a full year. This decision shaped my career trajectory.

Beyond the clinic, Dr. Morgan encouraged academic opportunities. She supported me in writing and publishing a manuscript, giving her time to read drafts and provide feedback—all to help me succeed. Even after my fellowship, she remained involved in my career by informing me about opportunities for involvement with the ISCD. I model my work today on Dr. Morgan’s example, striving to emulate her generosity and dedication.

Share your tale!

Interested in sharing your “tale of mentorship” that helped bring you to ISCD? We would love to hear and share. Please email membership@iscd.org.