Mentoring and Dental Foundation Training

Abstract

This paper is based on an assignment written as part of the work required for the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK)'s Certificate in Mentoring in Dentistry. Its author is currently a trainer for the first year of foundation training in a general dental practice in Kent. The paper commences by defining mentoring. It explores the relationship between postgraduate trainers and trainees and goes on to explain how it is the trainer's role to help trainees to use their strengths to overcome weaknesses. It details the person-centred approach, mentoring theories, helping models, the application of Kolb's learning cycle, the Inner Game theory, and the GROW model. It explores the role of foundation dental trainers as mentors to aid their trainee's ability to use reflective learning, and goes on to consider the implications of the changes that may result in the relationship between trainers and trainees as a consequence of the introduction of national recruitment. Finally, the author reflects on his experiences as a foundation dental trainer.