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Titus Kyenzeh
Mentoring Essay
August 5, 2014
The Importance of Mentoring in Medical Dosimetry - Summary
Mentoring is a process of communication that has been defined in many different ways. It can
basically be defined as a system of semi-structured guidance whereby one person shares their
knowledge, skills and experience to assist others to progress in their own lives and careers.
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Mentoring can be a short-term arrangement until a set goal is achieved, or it can be a lasting
undertaking. In medical dosimetry a mentor can be a more experienced dosimetrist mentoring a
newly qualified dosimetrist. It can also be a clinical preceptor or instructor mentoring a
dosimetry student. Regardless of the setting, a mentors goal is to inspire by leading by example,
encouraging and offering support to the mentee so as to realize real world experiences.
It is possible to assume that the teaching and mentoring achieve the same goals. Thats not
entirely true, and it is important to define the difference between the two. Teaching delivers
skills sets to the learner in a format that has previously been structured and the delivery channel
may not necessarily be by direct interaction. On the other hand, mentoring goes beyond deliver
of class subjects and establishes a relationship with the mentee. In this relationship, the mentor
identifies the needs of the mentee and provides the psychosocial support that may include career,
more knowledge or even professional development (B Philips, oral communication, August
2014; W Ikamba, MD, oral communication, August 2014). Mentoring is like parenting:
something one is expected to pick up naturally, with little or no formal training.
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A mentor will
not only imply what to do, but they also give the mentee the desired tools, options and expertise
on how to do it.
Effective mentors have a positive view of others that greatly increases how much learning can be
transferred. Effective mentoring requires: interest, enthusiasm, mutual respect, and constructive
feedback, active listening and is result oriented (W Ikamba, MD, oral communication, August
2014). Since the mentee looks up to the mentor for encouragement and feedback, the mentor
should understand this role besides acting as a role model, couch and cheerleader to the mentee
(B Philips, oral communication, August 2014). An effective mentor also serves as an advisor or
guide for a novice moving from dependence to independence to proficiency, and facilitates
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realization of a novice's aspirations by bestowing responsibility, trust, and opportunities to
achieve.
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In mentoring a lot of patience and tolerance should be exercised because people have different
styles of learning and varying degrees of understanding (B Philips, oral communication, August
2014). In terms of skills, it is important that the mentor has acquired the necessary skills and
knowledge through learning, research, reasoning, critical thinking and analysis (W Ikamba, MD,
oral communication, August 2014).
Effective mentors naturally enjoy reputation among their students and peers. Well networked
mentors become a resource as a repository of information and provide just-in-time learning.
Mentors should see the bigger picture when playing their role. This will help to generate useful
ideas in a larger perspective, in a way the mentee would otherwise not have considered.

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References
1. Personal and Professional Development. What is mentoring? Available at:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/ppd/pdp/mentoring/what/. Accessed August 5, 2014.
2. Lenards N. Education & Mentoring in Medical Dosimetry [Soft Chalk]. La Crosse,
WI: University of Wisconsin La Crosse Medical Dosimetry Program; 2014.


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Appendix A
Titus Kyenzeh
Mentoring Interview with Brad Philips, Medical Physicist (Transcript)
August 4, 2014.
Q1: Define mentoring in your own words.
Ans: I would define mentoring as an informal support or encouragement to people so that they
can achieve their potential.
Q2: How is a mentor different from a teacher?
Ans: They may sound the same but they are not. Teaching delivers skills sets to the learner in a
structured format. This might not involve direct interaction. On the other hand, a mentor goes
beyond teaching and establishes a relationship with the mentee. In this relationship, the mentor
provides the psychosocial support that may include career, more knowledge or even professional
development.
Q3: Define effective mentoring or what separates effective mentoring from ineffective
mentoring?
Ans: An effective mentor will establish the need and potential of the mentee that needs to be
nurtured. After that the mentor plays his/her role as role model, couch and cheerleader. The
mentee will always look up to the mentor to offer encouragement and positive feedback about
their work. An ineffective mentor will not be overly critical of the mentee, and he/she will be
readily available to the mentee.
Q4: How can someone become a more effective mentor? What skills do they need to have?
Ans: I believe that in order to be more effective as a mentor, one needs to keep with the trend in
the field of study. Skills, knowledge and experience in the field of study come in handy. Of
course a mentor has to exercise a lot of patience and tolerance because people have different
styles of learning and varying degrees of understanding.
Q5: What recommendation can you make to help someone become a more effective mentor?
Ans: I would like to say that mentorship is not something that is easily learnt. Its developed
overtime, and mostly it comes with experience. Effective mentors naturally enjoy reputation
among their students and peers. Well networked mentors become a resource as a repository of
information and provide just-in-time learning. I recommend that mentors should see the bigger
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picture when playing their role. This will help to generate useful ideas in a larger perspective, in
a way the mentee would otherwise not have considered.


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Appendix B:
Titus Kyenzeh
Mentoring interview with Dr. William Ikamba, MD (Transcript)
August 5, 2014.
Q1: Define mentoring in own words.
Ans: Teaching and inspiring through admiration and leading by example.
Q2: How is a mentor different from a teacher?
Ans: Teacher choses the subject and what knowledge to provide or impart to an individual while
a mentor is guided by the needs of the mentee and trains by doing.
Q3: Define effective mentoring or what separates effective mentoring from ineffective
mentoring?
Ans: Effective mentoring requires: interest, enthusiasm, mutual respect, and constructive
feedback, active listening and is result oriented. Any mentoring without these elements is
ineffective.
Q4: How can someone become a more effective mentor? What skills do they need to have?
Ans: Necessary skills: reading and writing skills including the capacity to learn and acquire the
necessary information through; learning, research, reasoning, critical thinking and analysis. An
effective communication skill is story telling- reassuring mentees with been there done that
stories and learning from mistakes.
Q5: What recommendation can you make to help someone become a more effective mentor?
Ans: Mentoring does not end with the job. Leading by example extends to your characterization
in the external job environment including family and social setting and is a lifelong undertaking.