title: Strategic mentoring: growth for mentor and mentee.
abstract: Mentoring is enriching for both the mentor and mentee, but often getting started can be a primary obstacle to this useful tool. This contribution focuses on how to embark on a mentoring relationship with a junior colleague. In addition to describing various approaches to being a mentor, it outlines unproductive traps to avoid, steps to establishing a successful mentoring relationship, including conversation starters, and professional skills one can continue to develop to improve mentoring outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine and Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, 1245 Camellia Blvd. Suite 300, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508. Electronic address: Queene205@aol.com.
authors.forename: Elizabeth I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: McBurney
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000193:education*