Abstract
A mentor is someone who can
“ 1
answer questions and give advice”.
This definition is a useful starting point,
but, is not the relationship between the
mentor and the mentee something
much more special? The mentee may
have questions that are life-centred,
highly personal, specific and part of a
context that cannot be learned from
formal teaching in classes or groups.
The mentor is someone who is known
to the mentee, who is trusted,
respected and valued. Someone who
embraces the role of loco parentis in
effect a “professional parent” providing
nurturing guidance to their emerging
“professional child”, and can address
the issues that arise in the life of the
mentee. Therefore, it is necessary to
acknowledge a special element of
“cognitive intimacy” within the
relationship that can only exist if the
matching of mentor and mentee is a
good fit. Thus, some searching questions
are raised, for example, how men can
2
excel as mentors to women? , and is the
pairing really a “one-size fits all”
3 arrangement?
4
In his book , Schön explores how
professionals think in action. Acquiring
both reflective and constructive
thinking skills are essential objectives for
a medical undergraduate. However,
constructing a robust framework for
thinking in a reflective and constructive
way may be a significant challenge for
someone who is facing an issue for the
first time, particularly when the issue
may be a critical event in an individual's
5
personal or professional life. This is
precisely the time when an individual
turns to the guidance of their mentor. It
is the moment when the mentee calls on
the experience and intellectual merits of
their mentor. Such moments are usually
unforeseen, frequently spontaneous
rather than planned, and are part of the
6 phenomenology of life. This sets the
mentee-mentor relationship apart from
the more commonly understood roles
of tutor-tutee, teacher-student or
clinical supervisor-trainee. They are set
apart simply because the situation is not
part of the formal curriculum, and
cannot easily be time tabled or routinely
scheduled. This association with the
hidden curriculum means that an
understanding of the complex nature
and benefits of a mentor-mentee
programme is not immediately
7 obvious. However, it is generally
recognised that medical schools that
support mentees, through training
8 mentors and promoting the
relationship, develop a stronger com-
9 munity of professional practitioners.
Phillip Evans. (2018) THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MENTEE-MENTOR RELATIONSHIP IN MEDICAL EDUCATION, KHYBER MEDICAL UNIVERSITY JOURNAL, Volume 10, Issue 2.
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