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- Mentoring Isn’t Magic
Everybody is talking about mentoring.
New graduates want it. Practices offer it when recruiting. Teachers and tutors recommend finding a mentor.
Starting your career in dentistry or oral health therapy can feel both exciting and overwhelming. One of the most valuable tools you’ll have in your early years is mentorship — but getting the most out of that support requires more than just showing up. It means learning how to be a great mentee.
Graduation is not the end of your learning journey — it’s just the beginning.
You want to build a strong, respectful, and productive mentoring relationship. The real-world clinical environment will continually challenge you to grow, and mentorship helps guide that growth.
You might not know the name “Dunning Kruger effect” but you most probably will be familiar with the feeling associated with learning a new skill.
Mentors can help you move through these stages of learning with confidence. From novice to expert.
Mentorship can be a valuable tool in personal and professional development. A mentor is someone who can provide guidance, advice, and support based on their own experiences. Building a strong mentor relationship can help you navigate challenges, set goals, and reach your full potential.
And yet there are so many things that can go wrong with a mentoring relationship.
It's important to be clear that asking a quick question in between patients may form a small part of a mentoring relationship, however real growth will demand much more effort on the part of the mentor and the mentee.
A lot of young clinicians never move beyond this level. A lot of mentors may not have the skills or time to move beyond this level either.
So here’s a few starting points.
Find a mentor who is interested in helping you. It might be a more experienced clinician in the practice or it may be someone who works in another practice. Having your boss as your mentor can work, depending on their skills,availability and interest.
Take an honest stocktake of your skills and experience, create a table/spreadsheet and then be honest with your prospective mentor about where you are. If you’ve only ever completed one crown or root canal, you need to be honest about this.
Identify some goals with your mentor, recognise challenges, and areas where you need support. Make a note and make a plan of how you will move forward.
Do the work yourself. If you need to read up on something, it is for you to do the research rather than your mentor. It’s not up to them to do the leg work. Make sure it’s real evidence rather than something from DPR; that is why you went to Uni, to have these skills in critically appraising the evidence..
Setting time for regular check-ins and communication can help ensure that both parties are on the same page and progressing towards your goals.
Additionally, make sure to show gratitude for your mentor's time and expertise. Acknowledge their impact on your development and show appreciation for their guidance. Building a strong relationship based on mutual respect and understanding will not only benefit your personal growth but also help cultivate a lasting mentor relationship.
TLDR
Establish clear expectations with your mentor
Communicate goals, challenges, and areas for support
Do your own research
Show gratitude for your mentor's time and expertise
Have a great week
If you’re a new graduate or graduating this year i’ve created a course and whole bunch of materials to help you find the right job and get off a flying start. Checl it out here.springboard-dental.teachable.com/l/pdp/start-smart
Rosie
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