Mentoring Relationship Guidelines

Mentor and Mentee Relationship

Mentoring is a relationship through which one person shares their knowledge, skills, information and perspective to cultivate the personal and professional growth of the mentee.
 

Building a Mentoring Relationship: Commentary From a Physician Assistant Student

Ryan Narisco
Physician Assistant Program Student, Quinnipiac University

General Guidelines:

• Most sources agree that a mentor should not be the direct supervisor of the mentee due to the conflict of grading the student.
• Mentors and mentees should have opportunities to interact and determine mutual interests. The objective is to allow a more organic matching of mentees to mentors.
• Mentors and mentees should share a certain passion or goal. For example, a shared clinical focus, gender, ethnicity, advocacy style, research interest, etc.
• Mentors and mentees should agree on the goals and objectives of the relationship.
• Mentors and mentees should agree on time commitment, how long the relationship will last, communication modes, and frequency for evaluating the relationship.