Mentorship

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Mentorship

• IDSP 240
• July 1, 2008
• Jill Williams, PhD

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Historically, mentorship

• The original Mentor (right) with Telemachus, son
  of Odysseus
• Implied
• Older, more experienced
• Guide to some personal or professional journey
• Male

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Other famous mentor pairs

• Plato and Aristotle
• Aristotle and Alexander the Great
• Bach and Mozart
• Freddie Laker and Richard Branson
• Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger
• Eddie Merckx and Lance Armstrong

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Choosing the right mentor is akin to choosing a
life partner. Ideally, it should be a
relationship that nurtures the graduate student
for life. Choosing A Good Scientific
MentorBy Jennifer Sbrogna, Ph.D.May 2007
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Selecting a research mentor is one of the most
important decisions students will make during
their graduate career
The process should begin with serious
introspection  Why am I in graduate
school?  What do I hope to gain from this
experience?  Where do I want to be in my career
five years from now?  What environment is most
suitable for my style of learning and work? 
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Why do people mentor?
Want to help young people succeed 82
percent Want to make a difference in someones
life 76 percent Want to give back to the
community 43 percent Religious and spiritual
reasons 27 percent Someone helped when he/she
was young 22 percent
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Characteristics of a good mentor
Abilities -Assists in setting goals -Provides
practical advice and instruction -Capable of
bringing out the best in people -Can give fair,
honest yet gentle feedback   Qualities -Calmness
-Positive and professional demeanor            
Patience             A supportive attitude
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Academic and Scientific Mentoring

• Choosing a graduate program
• How did you choose LSUHSC-S?
• Choosing a laboratory
• How did you choose the lab?
• Choosing a postdoctoral fellowship
• What are your criteria? It isnt too early to
  think about it!
• Finding a faculty or industrial position
• What do you want to be when you grow up?

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Consider the following statement by sociologist
Harriet Zuckerman 'The single factor that most
clearly differentiated Nobel laureates from
outstanding but lesser scientists was training
with another Nobel laureate'
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Choosing a graduate mentor

• Research rotations
• Personality yours and theirs
• Publication record
• Lab culture routine, lab meetings, personal
  contact with PI
• Training potential
• network
• attending meetings
• Financial support encouragement for seeking
  extramural funding

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Something to think about given the current
funding crisis

• Where do I want to be in my career 5 years from
  now?
• Industry
• Academics
• Scientific sales
• Policy 

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Is the lab PI synonymous with mentor?

• Academically/scientifically, yes
• Who else could act as a mentor in that context?
• Postdocs
• Senior grad students
• Other faculty committee members?
• Other faculty at another institutionperhaps your
  outside committee member?

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Do you need a second mentor?

• Outside the institution you may initiate a
  scientific network
• Inside the institution you may cultivate
  additional support
• Female students and postdocs should have a female
  mentor

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When things go wrong

• What if you change your mind about graduate
  school
• What if you decide youve chosen the wrong lab
• What if your project isnt workingand just isnt
  interesting
• What if you and your lab mates dont get along
• What if you and the mentor dont get along
• Can you discuss differences in scientific opinion
• Are you learning to become independent
• Are you publishing? Are you initiating the
  writing?

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Taking personal responsibility

• Your career is ultimately your responsibility to
  cultivate
• Are you attending meetings?
• If asked, can you succinctly explain your
  research project beginning with your hypothesis
  and aimsnot what techniques you do
• Are you reading enough to know your field?
• Have you contacted the senior faculty on the
  papers you admire to ask for reagents, discuss
  your research?

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Choosing a postdoc mentor

• Particularly, training for future job
• Youll be known for your postdoc work far more
  than for your graduate work
• Independence in selecting a project
• Financial support
• Independent publications
• Extramural funding

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Are you a mentor?

• Junior graduate students
• Undergraduate student workers
• SMART, Jumpstart, etc
• Reading/literacy programs art programs
• Big Sisters/Big Brothers
• Church/civic groups