The Mentoring Partnership

Abstract

Although long recognized, the importance of a mentor appears to be receiving renewed attention. The New England Journal ofMedicine recently published an article on attending physicians as role models.' The authors of the article identified several characteristics of excellent teach­ ers. Some of these features included an emphasis on the patient-physician relationship and a psychosocial perspec­ tive in clinical care, and others have emphasized enjoyment of teaching, greater time devoted to educating, teaching in clinical settings, providing feedback to learners, and ac­ tively building relationships with students. An editorial in Medical Education highlighted the importance of men­ toring throughout one's career, especially during profes­ sional transitions.' In the same volume, another editorial called for an examination of the effect of role models on students and junior staff and went on to describe the con­ cept of learning through caring.' It is estimated that fewer than half of physician-teachers exhibit professional characteristics residents want to emu­ late. However, those who do exhibit such worthy charac­ teristics can have a profound effect on the professional lives of their students. In this article, we review mentoring as a partnership that depends on the fit between teacher and student. We expand the discussion to include the concept of loss in the life cycles of these professional relationships. Background The word mentor is derived from the fictional character Mentor, tutor of Telemachus, in the Odyssey of Homer. S Mentor was a wise and faithful friend ofOdysseus, King of Ithaca. When Odysseus departed for the siege of Troy, he entrusted his infant son, Telemachus, to Mentor. Mentor was largely responsible for the child's education, shaping his character and instilling values. In Mentor's presence, Telemachus matured to make decisions independently. Thus, Mentor was viewed as the transitional figure in Telemachus's life during his journey from youth to man­ hood. Although the concept of mentor is ancient, it continues to be useful in many areas, including the development of