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Alyssa Olson
Effective Mentorship Essay
August 5, 2016
Effective Mentoring and Professional Development
Since I was little, I had considered my older sister the biggest influence in my life. I
wanted to dress like her, wear make-up like her, have the same privileges as her, and hang out
with the same friends as her. As younger siblings soon realize, I also figured out what not to do
in order to avoid the wrath of our parents through observations of scolding or personal venting
conversations. In my eyes she was, and still is, my confidant, my mentor, and best friend;
however, in our younger years, I was probably considered more of a nuisance with our 4 year
age gap. Today, I still confide in my sister, seeking advice for lifes difficult challenges, and
welcome her criticism as she is able to offer it without a filter or fluff; she has helped to shape
me into the person I am today.
Aside from the bond between siblings, it can be said that mentorship is a large part of
everyones life. Most people, if not all, have some type of person by which they were influenced
or inspired, using their valuable learned knowledge to grow on a personal or professional level.
Influential individuals such as these are also referred to as a mentor. Mentors can be a part of
one's life in any aspectpersonal, professional, or social. For me, what helps to define an
effective mentor is an individuals personal qualities, teaching mechanisms, and support in
helping one succeed.
Mentors often have a unique set of characteristics that can help them stand out in a crowd
of professionals. An effective mentor, in my eyes, is one who possesses a passion and a level of
knowledgeable expertise for a desired subject, who is confident yet approachable, professional,
and shows a genuine interest in helping their mentees succeed. Demonstrating a strong passion
for a profession or subject in addition to the willingness to teach can create a positive learning
environment for a student or mentee. Interestingly enough, in a study by Stagg et al,1 a strong
correlation between career choices and mentorship experience was noted for medical students
during their clinical rotations. Positive experiences encouraged students to choose a specific

specialization route, while negative ones deterred them. According to Leaver,2 mentees are also
drawn to inspirational individuals whose goals are to make a difference in a person's or patient's
life. The most influential mentors in my life have been patient, knowledgeable, and welcoming
to my questions. They are able to recognize my intent or desire to learn and challenge me to
think critically until my understanding is solidified. Effective mentors should be able to explain
the rationale behind various concepts during the learning process; this helps students to learn
about the logistics of a concept rather than pure memorization.
Teaching is another important aspect in the professional development of a mentee. It is a
part of mentorship that requires time and resources in order to help an individual grow. Each
individual has a different learning style and it is important for mentors to recognize this and be
able to adapt to the needs of their mentees. In order to provide the most well-rounded learning
experience, teaching should be performed using a variety of techniques including visual,
auditory, or kinesthetic; examples of these include drawing diagrams, personal conversations of
prior experiences, and hands-on experience for clinical application.2 According to Dan Lewis,
MS, in a personal interview in August 2016, the best method for a teacher to assess their
students learning is to have their student or mentee teach or explain a concept back to them.
Furthermore, as with any teaching experience, questions from mentees are expected, and should
be addressed until they have a firm grasp on the concept. According to Jordan Teller, DNP in a
personal interview (August 2016), disagreement on advice between a mentor and mentee can
occur but it also opens up an opportunity for dialog; ultimately, the mentee needs to assess their
situation and decide what is best for themselves. Finally, I believe one of the most influential
aspects of teaching is simply through the idea of observation. Habits, routines, and the degree of
professionalism can be acquired by one through observation of surrounding individuals. A
research survey found that 1/3 of radiation therapists and clinical instructors developed their
habits based on the behavior and traits of their own clinical instructor.2 It can be said that most
mentees will adapt and implement the important concepts from their mentors into their own
future practices. While mentors are often considered somewhat of an idol in their mentees eyes,
mentees should be cautioned not to uphold too high of standards for their mentees, for nobody is
perfect and high expectations can lead to future disappointment (Jordan Teller DNP, oral
communication, August 2016).

A final important characteristic of an effective mentor is support. Supportive mentoring,

as described by Lenards,3 is defined as a mentors ability to set aside specific time to teach
mentees and show a genuine interest in helping their mentees succeed, offer feedback for
improvementboth positive and negative, and help enable independent work . Setting aside time
for mentees creates an open door policy; students are able to ask questions or address concerns
without fear of infringement on professional time. Periodic feedbackidentifying areas of
excellence and areas for improvementis also an essential component for effective mentee
learning. Students thrive when they feel their work is validated and also are inspired when they
have future goals for improvement (Jordan Teller, DNP, oral communication, August 2016).
Finally, enabling independent work is key. Mentors should assess the progress or development
of their mentees periodically and allow for a gradual increase in independence. I personally
learn best when I am able to try things on my own with limited supervision and learn from my
own mistakes; this promotes the use of critical thinking skills and tests ones basic understanding
of concepts. The idea of not promoting constant coddling can help to prepare mentees for future
roles or professions. Dan Lewis, MS (oral communication, August 2016) provided a great
example of promoting independence by being placed in unfamiliar surroundings; this process can
challenge and push individuals to become more confident in their skills and become better
professionals.
Effective mentorship is an important component in everyday life for future growth and
development. While I was a radiation therapy student, I remember looking up to various therapy
individuals and adapting their practices into my skill set; those skills, along with future
experiences have helped shape me into the therapist I am today. I understand the challenges of
new graduate therapists and now try to provide them with mentorship as needed. As a dosimetry
student, I am once again gathering all the knowledge and skills provided to me in my
surrounding clinical and didactic environment to help me develop professionally. Professional
mentorship helps to pass along important skills for future generations. It is important for
individuals interested in mentoring to create a positive learning environment for less experienced
individuals and to provide different teaching techniques to help future generations succeed. I
hope to someday be confident enough in my skill set to be able to teach and impart my
knowledge to others as they have done so for me.

References
1. Stagg P, Prideaux D, Greenhill J, Sweet L. Are medical students influenced by
preceptors in making career choices, and if so how? A systematic review. Rural Remote
Health. 2012;12(1832):1-21.
2. Leaver D. Clinical teaching skills for radiation therapy. Radiat Ther. 2012;21(2):157-177.
3. Lenards N. Mentoring. [SoftChalk]. La Crosse, WI: UW-L Medical Dosimetry Program;

2016.

Appendix A
Alyssa Olson
Mentoring Interview with Jordan Teller (Transcript)
August 1, 2016
Q: How would you describe a good mentor?
A: I feel like from experience, a really good mentor doesnt make you feel inferior when you ask
a question. Its somebody who is approachable and is willing to reason things out without ever
making you feel like you have made the wrong choice by approaching them.
Q: Do you think mentors are just for professional purposes?
A: No, geez, if more people had a mentor in life I think that we could problem solve better. I
think that mentors for life situations often are more experienced and have been through things
that our generation is going through. And so they can problem solve or be a sounding board
when youre going through a situation that someone else has experienced before but its new to
you.
Q: Do you have a current mentor, and what did you find interesting about that person to call
them your mentor?
A: I think professionally I definitely have a mentor who, in the medical field, uses evidence
based practicemore than anybody Ive ever seen beforeand is really well respected in the
medical community. So professionally he has made a big impact on how I practice. And I would
say that I too have a life mentor. She is actually an old professor of mine. We go for walks about
once a month and she is really sage about offering me life experiences, parenting experiences,
how to balance professional life with parenting. I have long referred to her as my mentor and
have known her for about 15 years. She has been really astute and helpful.
Q: What was the most influential thing your mentor has taught you?
A: This is really hard. Im trying to think. Kindness and respect. I think there are a lot of
professionals too that, um, have an eat your own mentality like where old battle axe nurses say
well, I had to learn the hard way so youre going to learn the hard way too. I think its breaking
that cycle of the professionals that quote eats their own or eats their young or however you
phrase that of breaking the cycle of that and realizing that were on the same team. And if were

going to have a good profession or good friendship or better community its mentoring people
kindly and not making every experience the hard way.
Q: Would you consider yourself a mentor to others? If so, what actions are you taking in
mentoring?
A: Yeah, in the professional sense I enjoy precepting students and mentoring them into practice
as they start knowing what hurdles Ive had to overcome. What wisdom Ive gained from other
people in practice, I consider myself a mentor to younger people starting out in the medical field.
I dont know if I have enough life experience to call myself a mentor to anybody else though.
Q: Would you say there are any drawbacks to mentorship?
A: I think the only thing that could potentially happen is if the person getting mentored puts their
mentor on too high a pedestal they could feel let down because no one is infallible. So if they
are idolizing their mentor too much they could really be disappointed.
Q: What happens if you completely disagree with advice given to you by your mentor?
A: I think it just creates dialog and its food for thought. I just actually had this happen and I felt
like I had my situation under control. Now reflecting on that, I feel like I shouldve listened to
her and it was wise of her to see that coming. I should have taken that advice and delayed my
situation because it was hard to focus on work in light of whats going on in life right now. But
at the time I thought Ive got this under control and she doesnt completely understand my
situation. In hindsight I should have listened to her.
Q: What qualities are most important to you in a mentor?
A: Yea, I think someone who is open and honest. And for me, somebody who can offer a biblical
perspective too. Someone who is approachable.
Q: Would you consider the biblical perspective also something for a professional mentor too?
A: I actually do, yeah. The physician who is my professional mentor can step away from the
professional role offer guidance as a friend and a fellow Christian and I find that to be really
helpful.
Q: What teaching techniques were the most beneficial for your learning?
A: Being wrong. You know being wrong and having to look go something up or being wrong
and having to do it differently the next time are experiences that I dont soon forget. Um, I think
its helpful when somebody tells you something but its even more helpful when somebody lets
you learn it. And sometimes thats the hard way.

Q: In what ways did your mentor support you and encourage your success?
A: I think celebrating my victories with me and boosting me up from failures with some
encouragement that its just part of the learning experience. Whether thats in life or
professionally they are there to celebrate with you when things are good and they are there to
cheerlead you when things are not good.

Appendix B
Alyssa Olson
Mentoring Interview with Daniel Lewis (Transcript)
August 2, 2016
Q: How would you describe a good mentor?
A: To me a good mentor is someone who listens to you and tries to get to know you at a deeper
level than just at a professional level or just a normal relationship level; for instance how you
function and how you work. A good mentor helps to push you and round out your weaknesses
and strengthen some of your strengths. They try to make you be the best person that youre
capable of being.
Q: Do you think mentors are just for professional purposes?
A: Definitely not. We need mentors just for normal everyday things as well, you know. We can
be great professionally but be terrible out when youre at a bar and stuff. We need people to help
you along with that stuff too. That could be your friends too; it doesnt necessarily need to be a
full on mentor.
Q: Do you have a current mentor, and what did you find interesting about that person to call
them your mentor?
A: I would say that it is not someone who is completely my mentor, no. Our lead is probably
my go to person with any advice and what not. He does a good job in answering questions and
brainstorming with him.
Q: What attracted you to feeling comfortable with him?
A: He does a good job in being respectful to you. You can ask him the dumbest questions and he
considers them all good questions. And he does a good job of helping in terms of me taking on
certain responsibilities and feeling more comfortable in calling the shots.
Q: What was the most influential thing your mentor has taught you?
A: In general, I think, one of my mentors wasnt the biggest fan of me as a student. But when I
was in residency I really looked up to him. I thought he was the best guy. Its not just
professional stuff, but also relational stuff. But I think what influenced me the most was that he
said to me Hey Dan, you come across as arrogant and I dont like that. And you need to be
teachable. And that was very good. I didnt realize I was coming across that way to people. Not

just in a professional stance but in a personal way too. It has taught me to try to listen more and
really look to those people that have been in those positions for a while and make sure that they
know I am respecting them even though I didnt know I came across that way before.
Q: Would you consider yourself a mentor to others? If so, what actions are you taking in
mentoring?
A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I think for me the biggest thing is that Im not afraid to
challenge people. So if they come to me with some weaknesses, I will challenge them in their
weaknesses so that way they can round themselves out better. I wouldnt say Ive done that much
professionally other than maybe as a resident with some of the students from school. I also dont
like the whole relationship between mentors and mentees. It can sometimes be an even playing
ground. Sometimes you mentor this person, and sometimes they mentor you. It can be a two
way street and goes both ways. And my actions in mentorship? I think challenging them and
encouraging them. I think encouragement is probably the biggest way a mentor can help. To
have that person who listens to you, knows your weaknesses, but still encourages you and still
supports you in that stuff.
Q: Would you say there are any drawbacks to mentorship?
A: Um, I think there are drawbacks to everything. But inherently, I dont think there are any
drawbacks to mentorship. But its more of how does that mentorship look. Like, if its
interfering with your normal life then yeah, it can be a drawback.
Q: What happens if you completely disagree with advice given to you by your mentor?
A: I definitely had times when I disagreed with advice given. I think thats OK. Its someone
who is more open and doesnt just say You will do what I say and dont do it that way. Thats
more of a cult leader. Maybe just ask questions to get you to the right place. If you disagree you
need to go talk to that mentor and figure out where you need to be or what you need to do. You
get the idea.
Q: What teaching techniques were the most beneficial for your learning?
A: I feel like I learn or whats helped me the most is one of my mentors asked me to always
explain my thoughts and ideas. So if you cant explain your thoughts and ideas then you dont
know your stuff. So essentially I was trying to teach him even though he knew it already. And
he also got a good idea of what we knew and what not. I know I dont do the best working

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completely solo. I like working in a group and bouncing ideas off of people and sharing. I think
that being able to talk through things in that setting helped a lot.
Q: In what ways did your mentor support you and encourage your success?
A: Um, I would say that they encourage you verbally. But they support you in giving you
criticism. Like when he said I was cocky and I need to listen more. I didnt necessarily like that
advice but I needed it. And he also supported me by challenging me and making me
uncomfortable in some ways. What I mean is putting me in positions that I didnt feel that I was
good enough to be in but it made me better. I think thats a good way to encourage mentees even
though it may not necessarily feel that way.