Qualities for Success
What qualities should I look for in choosing a mentor?
Someone who:
- is interested in developing your career.
- is committed to mentoring (and has a successful track record).
- is available and accessible.
- matches your professional and personal needs (and has the ability to assist you in skill development).
- is a good communicator (encouraging and honest).
- will sponsor you and provide networking opportunities.
- has institutional “memory” and is savvy.
- has the potential for reciprocity.
- has admirable personal qualities (enthusiasm, compassion, selflessness).
Who can be part of my mentoring committee?
- Chair of the mentoring committee is an associate or full professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.
- The chair of the mentoring committee should be on the same pathway.
- Other members may be from outside the division or outside the Department of Internal Medicine.
- Ideally, one mentor should be recently promoted to associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine.
- Division chiefs cannot serve on the mentoring committee for faculty members in their division in order to enhance open discussion of potential issues.
- Members of the mentoring committee can be modified to meet the needs of the mentee.
What qualities do I need as a mentee?
I am:
- able to take initiative and drive the partnership.
- capable of establishing clear and specific objectives.
- comfortable asking for assistance.
- open to hearing new ideas and perspectives.
- receptive to constructive feedback.
- someone who values and appreciates feedback.
- willing to change behaviors.
- respectful and able to instill trust.
- open to showing appreciation and gratitude.
- able to maintain a high-level of professionalism, self-motivation, engagement, curiosity, and ethical standards
- willing to strive to meet established deadlines.
Being a mentee requires an active role, and involves responsibilities including actively seeking and accepting guidance, sharing values, needs, and aspirations, and being willing to listen and learn.
Traits of An Outstanding Mentee
- Considerate: A good mentee recognizes that mentors are busy professionals who are donating valuable time.
- Responsible: A good mentee carefully thinks out questions to maximize the use of the mentor’s time.
- Respectful: A good mentee realizes that some communication with the mentor might be professionally sensitive and should be kept confidential.
- Adaptable: A good mentee understands that the mentor’s schedule may prevent him/her from being available at the time or in the mode that they desire. Part of your process of learning will include how to negotiate terms with your mentor and other professional research collaborators.
- Proactive: A good mentee suggests ways in which he/she can benefit from the relationship.
Career Development
Individual Career Development Plan
The Career Development Plan provides a coherently organized written plan for academic advancement, which recognizes the aspirations of faculty members as well as the needs of the divisions where they work. This Plan will help faculty members to define and describe intellectual focus, clarifypersonal values, and long-term career goals, and identify areas where skill development is necessary. We encourage mentees to utilize the template in establishing career goals.
Individual Career Development Plan (IDP) (PPT download)
Mentoring Map
By visualizing your network of mentoring relationships, and keeping your professional or personal goals in mind, you can identify which relationships will help you reach those goals.
Please complete the Mentoring Map (PDF)
Mentee Self-Assessment
Please take the Mentee Self-Assessment (Word document).
Research Interest
For those interested in research, please complete the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI).
Mentee Resources
Connect with others through: