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Tamara Eng
Mentoring Activity Assignment
August 1, 2016
Mentorship plays an important role in all industries, ranging from healthcare professions,
such as medical dosimetry to military professions such as a soldier in the United States Army. In
general, a mentor is an individual who has experience in a given field and who imparts his or her
knowledge to a novice or individual with less experience. While mentorship exists in a wide
variety of professions, not all mentorship is effective. In fact, students have expressed that
mentor poor relationships may have a significant negative affect on the whole educational
experience and may leave students feeling alienated.1 The level of effectiveness of a mentorship
has a profound impact on the success of the novice as he or she enters a new profession.
An effective mentorship consists of several components. First, a mentor is much more
than a teacher; he or she is also a role model (Gretchen Bloss, CMD, oral communication, July
13, 2016). Beyond teaching, a mentor provides knowledge based on experience via a holistic
approach. The mentor relates said knowledge to all aspects of the job (Jared Schmeling, SSG,
oral communication, July 27, 2016). Furthermore, an effective mentor acts as an advisor as he or
she guides the trainee in transitioning from being dependent on the mentor to becoming
independent and eventually proficient. The mentor should facilitate the realization of the
mentees aspirations and goals through different avenues, such as giving the mentee
responsibility, trust, as well as, opportunities to be successful.1 An effective mentor should also
support the novices career development, challenge the mentee to acquire new skills, and
promote the trainees career goals.2 The key to a strong mentoring relationship is supportiveness.
Students who are neglected or do not receive adequate guidance and support will experience
more difficulties in achieving confidence and competence.1
Certain characteristics and skills encompass an effective mentor. An effective mentor is
highly available to the mentee and provides insightful comments and critiques, as well as,
opportunities for the mentee to develop independence.2 Furthermore, a supportive mentor is
involved enough with the student in the clinical setting to have a good understand of clinical
dynamics and to regularly monitor the students activities and interactions. The mentor also
should balance the mentees level of freedom versus guidance. Thus, providing intellectual
autonomy for the student to make his or her own choices, while also being supervised and
learning from the mentors professional judgment and broader perspective.1 It is good practice

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for the mentor to provide guidance and assistance with the goal of teaching in mind. It is
important that the mentor is always honest and allows the trainee to learn through action and
error, while making sure to make the trainee aware of critical mistakes (Jared Schmeling, SSG,
oral communication, July 27, 2016). Effective mentors also give positive feedback often and
demonstrate enthusiasm about students accomplishments; thus, affirming the students
performance and increasing his or her confidence in his or her abilities. Furthermore, mentors
should treat trainees as their colleagues by valuing their contributions. Conversely, when a
mentor belittles or degrades students, they may become defeated and question their abilities.
Lastly, a successful mentor takes an active interest in students and in their work. They treat
students as individuals, recognizing each student has different learning styles and different needs
regarding the amount of one-on-one training.1
Effective mentorship is an accumulation of several encounters, not simply one
memorable event. Cumulative mentoring describes the idea of a mentoring practice, in which
many separate events have a collective impact. In other words, the influence of a mentorship
spans numerous occasions over an extended period of time. Overall, individuals remember
mentorship as the experience of the relationship. Trainees remember observing how their
mentors interacted with other professionals and how they worked through challenging situations.
Mentees place more value on the numerous day-to-day moments rather than on any major
memorable events (Jared Schmeling, SSG, oral communication, July 27, 2016).
There are several aspects that embody what it means to be an effective mentor. Most
importantly, the individual needs to desire to be a mentor. Those who volunteer and genuinely
enjoy mentoring students will be the most effective mentors. When an individual is forced to be
a mentor, he or she may resent the position, which would lead to a negative experience for the
student (Gretchen Bloss, CMD, oral communication, July 13, 2016). As novices enter a
profession, they will construct an understanding of the profession. They will start to determine
the type of professional they aspire to become. Through this process, students begin to
internalize standards, construct a distinctive approach to work, set goals, develop a sense of
purpose, and form a moral compass for their professional conduct. Effective mentoring is key to
students completion, academic success, scholarly productivity, and career achievement.1
References

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1. Lenards, N. Mentoring. [SoftChalk}. La Crosse, WI: UW-L Medical Dosimetry
Program;2016.
2. Shah S, Nodell B, Montano S, et al. Clinical research and global health: Mentoring the next
generation of health care students. Glob Public Health. 2011;6(3):234-246.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2010.494248

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Appendix A
Tamara Eng
Mentoring Interview with Gretchen Bloss, CMD (transcript)
July 13, 2016
Q: In your own words, what does mentorship mean?
A:Being an example for those wishing to pursue my profession. Advising and sharing
knowledge.
Q: During your training for your current profession, did you have a mentor(s)? If so, what
type of impact did your mentor(s) have on your career?
A: I was trained on the job and met many physicists and dosimetrists during this period of time.
I still use some planning techniques taught to me during that time. I also learned about my scope
of practice and the ethics of being a good dosimetrist.
Q: Do you remember any specific experiences with past mentors?
A:Yes, learning IMRT and field-in-field techniques. Also, learning new ways of planning and
better ideas like angling the gantry for supraclavicular fields.
Q: If you receive conflicting advice from two different mentors, how do you decide which
advice to follow?
A: Yes, I listened to both ideas. I realized there was more than one method to achieve a good
plan. As my career developed, I learned my own methods that worked.
Q: Do you believe a mentor is the same as a teacher or would you define a mentor
differently than you would define a teacher?
A: Yes a teacher but also a role model. You need to teach the techniques of planning but also
how to interact with staff and do the right thing under pressure.
Q: What do you think makes someone an effective mentor? Is there a specific skillset that
is needed to be an effective mentor? What is the most important aspect of mentoring?
A: To be a good mentor, I think you need to want to be a mentor. It should be someone on your
staff who volunteers to do this. If you assign this task to someone who does not want this, he or
she may resent it or feel stressed.
Q: Have you ever been a mentor? If so, how did/do you approach this role? Do you have a
specific methodology or is it dependent on the mentee?

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A: Yes I have had several shadow students and an intern. I try to realize that they do not have
the years of experience so it is important to explain to them your thinking process. Also, I let
them know my way is not the only way and encourage them to learn from others.
Q: If someone is in a situation where he or she does not have a mentor, is there an
appropriate method to find a mentor?
A: It might be difficult if their program is not associated with a mentor setting. It can require
some paperwork and time to find a site. The site has to be willing to do this.
Q: We often think about the mentee benefiting from the mentor-mentee relationship. What
benefits do you see for the mentee and what benefits do you see for the mentor in the
mentor-mentee relationship? In general, do you find having a mentor as a valuable
experience?
A: Yes, I find it a valuable experience. I have also learned things from my mentee. Sometimes a
simple question helps me think of a new approach. It is also exciting to see them understand a
concept.

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Appendix B
Tamara Eng
Mentoring Interview with Jared Schmeling, SSG (transcript)
July 27, 2016
Q: In your own words, what does mentorship mean?
A: Mentorship is the act of passing your wisdom, knowledge, skills, and experience on to others.
It is accomplished through patient instruction, storytelling, availability, and going out of the way
to help the mentee when needed.
Q: During your training for your current profession, did you have a mentor(s)? If so, what
type of impact did your mentor(s) have on your career?
A: Yes, two in particular. Their constant willingness to provide help drives me to do my best and
excel at all assignments and tasks. I cant say they had a direct impact on my career, but they
definitely had enormous impacts on shaping who I am and how I interact with others in my
career. Undoubtedly, their mentorship has indirectly impacted my career.
Q: Do you remember any specific experiences with past mentors?
A: Not any specific experiences. When I look back I have more of a sense of desire to learn and
become more like my mentors. I remember watching how they interact with other people and
situations and I would try to emulate their attitudes and behaviors. I find more value in the
hundreds of little day-to-day moments than in any major memorable events.
Q: If you receive conflicting advice from two different mentors, how do you decide which
advice to follow?
A: I would ask for more detail as to the basis of the advice. Normally there is a story, the advice
was used in a similar situation in the mentors past experience. I would want to know more of
those stories. Then I would apply the advice which had the story most congruent with the issue I
was facing.
Q: Do you believe a mentor is the same as a teacher or would you define a mentor
differently than you would define a teacher?
A: I believe a mentor is different from a teacher. A teacher imparts knowledge and skill through
focus on one subject, or discipline. A mentor provides knowledge from experience in a holistic
approach. Not only showing the knowledge, but also how it relates to all aspects of the job, or
position.
Q: What do you think makes someone an effective mentor? Is there a specific skillset that
is needed to be an effective mentor? What is the most important aspect of mentoring?

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A: I believe effective mentors all share one trait, they desire to pass their experience on. I dont
believe there is a specific skillset. I think it varies based on the type of profession, or skill being
mentored. The most important aspect is dedication. Dedication to the mentoring process is
paramount to provide the patience and immediate availability needed to successfully mentor.
Q: Have you ever been a mentor? If so, how did/do you approach this role? Do you have a
specific methodology or is it dependent on the mentee?
A: Yes, in some limited capacity in my career. I think parenting is not too different in many ways
than mentorship. I always approach this role with genuine concern and care for the mentee.
Always willing to providing guidance and assistance with the goal of teaching. I have a
methodology in that I am always honest and will point out important hazards, but also allow the
mentee to learn through action and even some error.
Q: If someone is in a situation where he or she does not have a mentor, is there an
appropriate method to find a mentor?
A: I dont know that I would call it a method, but following instinct and moving toward someone
with much more experience than you and with whom you connect and feel comfortable. Looking
back I have always had mentors in every position and industry Ive worked. Sometimes it took
time to find one. Some were short lived, and some were in place for years, but I have been
blessed to always have at least one mentor guiding me.
Q: We often think about the mentee benefiting from the mentor-mentee relationship. What
benefits do you see for the mentee and what benefits do you see for the mentor in the
mentor-mentee relationship? In general, do you find having a mentor as a valuable
experience?
A: The benefits for the mentee include a quicker acquisition of knowledge and skills. Also, the
mentees journey into the profession is less painful because they can avoid pitfalls the mentor
may have experienced, or warns of. The benefits for the mentor include a sense of purpose and
pride knowing your years of skill and experience are living on through others. Watching another
grow is very rewarding. I feel that mentorship is very valuable and I seek out mentors. As I
progress in my career I am beginning to transition to the mentor role in some instances and I look
forward to the experiences I will find in being the mentor.