1

Amanda Lisher
DOS 518: Mentoring Activity
August 6, 2015
Effective Mentoring
Mentors are among the most influential people in a young professionals life. Everyone
has been involved in a mentoring relationship at some point in his or her career. These
partnerships are sometimes formal arrangements, yet many are informal and unplanned. Health
care culture depends heavily on a successful clinical learning experience. When new students
enter the radiation oncology clinical setting, they have little understanding of what is expected of
them. Students look to veteran radiation therapists or medical dosimetrists to learn everything,
from how to use the electronic medical record to when and where to eat lunch. Educators are
tasked with giving students the knowledge and tools needed to form a basic understanding of
how and why things are done. However, it is the clinical instructor who helps students apply that
knowledge to real-life scenarios and helps them navigate the professional environment. While
classroom learning has taught students what radiation is, how it can heal, and how it can harm, it
cannot prepare them for the reality of daily clinic life. If didactics are the backbone of a great
practitioner, clinical education is the heart. The key to professional growth and success is to find
a positive role model who is willing and able to share his or her experience and advice.
Mentoring is an art and a science. Students depend a great deal on clinical staff and not
every professional is willing or able to support a students needs. There are several
characteristics that define an effective mentor. First, a mentor must be committed and
enthusiastic about working with a mentee. A mentor must have patience and be willing to take
the time to explain ideas and processes. Ideally, a mentor will have years of experience in the
field and will be able to provide real-world examples to support classroom concepts. As one
mentor explained (S. Bradley, oral communication, August 2015), the textbook will always
provide an explanation of how things work on the perfect patient. In reality, there is rarely a
perfect patient. Mentors help students understand how to apply the concepts learned in class to
think critically and troubleshoot a difficult scenario.
Rick Holmes, PhD, (oral communication, August 2015) suggested a key characteristic of
a good mentor is the ability to listen. He explained that in order to form an effective partnership,
a mentor must first understand the personality and skill level of the student. According to Trad,1

early communication will also help a mentor and mentee decide whether they see characteristics
in each other that will motivate them to continue the relationship. It has been suggested that
successful mentoring depends on the mentors ability to understand the goals of the individual
student, and to offer advice to aid the student in achieving those goals.2 Mentors should not
assume that the student aspires to be exactly like his or her mentor. Taking the time to get to
know each other will help the mentor decide on how best to approach the mentorship and create
a solid foundation for the relationship.
An effective mentorship will depend on the mentors ability to allow the student to work
through a problem on his or her own (S. Bradley, oral communication, August 2015). In order to
internalize concepts, students must face challenges. Mentors should engage a student in scholarly
conversation, allowing him or her to apply concepts to a real-life scenario. A good mentor will
encourage and support a students efforts, will address issues and answer questions as needed,
but will not bulldoze a students genuine attempt to problem solve. Mentors must possess a
willingness to accept new ideas. Experienced medical dosimetrists can be an excellent resource,
teaching students tried-and-true planning techniques. However, young dosimetrists should not be
discouraged from trying other methods. In fact, they should be encouraged to sample several
different techniques in order to establish their own treatment planning style.
Finally, a quality mentor will make an effort to provide genuine, constructive feedback in
a non-threatening and supportive manner. Students must feel comfortable asking for clarification
and additional information and should not be intimidated by the potential of making a mistake.
Leaver3 discussed that students thrive in a positive environment, where errors are accepted and
used as a learning tool. Suzy Bradley (oral communication, August 2015) recalled that one of her
early mentors taught her that mistakes are inevitable, and that the most important thing is to
own them and to work past them. Mentors are not meant to be perfect peopleperceived
perfection can be quite intimidating for a student. In practice, mistakes are an excellent
opportunity for a mentor to demonstrate the appropriate way to report and rectify treatment or
planning errors. The mentoring relationship will deteriorate if the student feels inadequate or
ignorant, therefore the mentor must also make an effort to praise the student when appropriate.3
Mentoring is an essential part of professionalism. Radiation therapy and medical
dosimetry students rely on clinical mentors to learn how to navigate clinical life, and how to
behave with patients and other staff members. Students are drawn to individuals who possess


traits and skills that they aspire to have. An effective mentoring relationship will help a student
gain the skills, confidence, and manners necessary to be a successful member of the radiation
oncology community.

4
References

1. Trad ML. Mentoring radiation therapy students: A review and survey. Radiat Therapist.
2009;18(2):101-108.
2. Buehler J. (2009, April/May) Meet your mentor. ASRT Scanner, 41(4),18. Retrieved from
https://www.asrt.org/docs/default-source/student/scan09_aprilmay_meetyourmentor.pdf
3. Leaver D. Clinical teaching skills for radiation therapy. Radiat Therapist. 2012;21(2):157177.

5
Appendix A

Amanda Lisher
Mentoring Interview with Suzy Bradley, CMD (Transcript)
August 3, 2015
AL: How do you think an educator is different than a mentor?
SB: An educator shares knowledge and information in a broad scope, often in a classroom
setting. A mentor provides greater perspective and experience, usually in a workplace setting,
and uses that to guide someone to success rather than just passing on information. The difference
is teaching you what you need to know to become a dosimetrist versus sharing the experience of
becoming one and providing the tools to be successful.
AL: What are some characteristics of a good mentor?
SB: Good mentors possess a willingness to share knowledge. They have patience and
availability. They are able to provide honest critique as well as praise and encouragement. Good
mentors are also able to allow someone to work through the process and address problems before
just jumping in and taking over.
AL: What are some of the challenges of being a mentor?
SB: The major challenge is finding enough time to be a good mentor. Compatibility is also an
issue, a student must show initiative and a willingness to learn.
AL: Could you provide one example of how a mentor has impacted your life?
SB: In my first job, the medical dosimetrist I had to cover for was very experienced and basically
took me under his wing. He always took the time to help, and taught me to prioritize work when
Im feeling overwhelmed and to finish one thing at a time. He taught me to always ask questions
and to never assume anything. He helped me understand that I should always keep trying, but I
have to know when to stopsometimes, thats just as good as its going to get! Along the same
lines, he taught me that simple is sometimes better. Finally, and most important, he taught me
that I will make mistakes, and it will be okay, but I have to own them.

6
Appendix B

Amanda Lisher
Mentoring Interview with Rick Holmes, PhD (transcript)
August 3, 2015
AL: How do you think an educator is different than a mentor?
RH: A teacher has greater knowledge than the student. Their goal is to impart that knowledge to
the student with clarity. Usually this is done in a formal setting and accomplished using lectures
and multimedia devices. A mentor is a more experienced individual willing to readdress the
knowledge communicated by the teacher and provide perspective to the student. Normally this is
done in a less formal setting with access to the tools of the trade. This provides the link between
didactic learning and practical application. I do not think that teacher and mentor are mutually
exclusive. In my experience, most teachers have some degree of mentoring ability and most
mentors must be able to teach. An analogy is like the difference between an athletic trainer
(teacher) and a coach (mentor). The trainer works with the athlete to build strength, agility, and
speed. The coach shows the athlete how to put those new-found talents to work.
AL: What are some characteristics of a good mentor?
RH: First and foremost a good mentor must be a good listener. Early in the partnership between
the mentor and the student/trainee, little may be known of their personality, aptitude, and
compatibility. Listening at this time will help bring understanding of the students needs,
concerns, and knowledge level. Another important characteristic would be the ability to develop
a good working relationship to help build the students competency in the discipline. Finally, a
good mentor must show encouragement when the student is discouraged, and redirect when the
student seems lost.
AL: What are some of the challenges of being a mentor?
RH: In my case, it is time management, and not knowing what the subject matter is going to be
ahead of time. I like to review subjects before I talk about them with the student. My biggest
concern is not the usual not knowing, but giving the wrong answer and misguiding someone.
AL: Could you provide one example of how a mentor has impacted your life?
RH: While finishing my bachelors degree and working as a research assistant, one of the
professors I worked for saw potential in me. He was an engineer with an expertise in fluid

dynamics. His research was in the application of hydrodynamic principles to human cardiac
hemodynamics. He hired me to analyze digital cardiac cine-images of lab animals coronary
arteries. During the course of gathering images, he mentioned that he wished there was a better
way to time the contrast injector to the relaxed period of the coronary artery flow. Joking with
him, I said I will get right on that! He took me seriously, and mentored me through the process
to build a device that monitored the EKG of the lab animal and interfaced to the contrast injector.
The device worked the first time I tried it! He encouraged me and mentored me through many
projects over the following two years. After I finished my BS degree, my professor handed me a
letter he had written. It was a letter of recommendation to graduate school. An attached note read
Just tell me which school. He wrote things in the letter that I did not even realize about myself.
I will never forget him for his patience, kindness, mentoring, and encouragement.