Inspire

Mentorship

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction”

-John C. Crosby

What is mentorship?

Mentorship involves developing a trusted relationship between a person (the mentor) with knowledge, insight and experience in a specific field or industry that you (the mentee) are interested in joining.

Why is mentorship important?

At some point in time, we have all uttered the words, “If I knew then, what I know now…”. In many instances, this sentiment could have been mitigated by good mentorship. The invaluable wisdom and expertise of a person who is doing what you hope to be doing can help prevent time wasted in trying to learn the in’s/out’s and unspoken rules of a particular field. They can also help identify or in some instances create opportunities that can propel your progress.

Characteristics of a good mentor

A good mentor is someone who is trustworthy.Your mentor is someone you should feel comfortable sharing your strengths, weakness, dreams and concerns. It can often involve sharing sensitive information about your life. Therefore, it is imperative that you feel comfortable and trust that the information shared will remain confidential.

A mentor should also be excited tosee you succeed. One of the greatest joys of any mentor is to see their menteeachieve their goals and thrive in their profession. Your success does notintimidate but in fact motivates them to be there and encourage you as you stepdevelop your career.

Finally, a good mentor helps bringout the best in YOU! It is not about making a clone of themselves or dictating whatyou should become. They are there to guide, support and encourage you as youpursue YOUR goals. As a mentor to medical students and residents, my aim is notto convince them to become a neurologist or in the case of residents, pursue acareer in vascular neurology. My aim is to help them identify the specialtythat excites and motivates them because if you are doing what you love, youwill never work a day in your life.

Mentorship with Dr. Necrisha Roach

When I initially started along the road to becoming a physician, I did not have mentorship. I was the first person in my family to pursue a career in medicine so navigating the application process and the journey from medical student, to resident, to fellow and now attending was foreign to me. There are nuances to the world of medicine I was not aware of, and in some cases learnt about them “the hard way”. I certainly think my experience would have been very different if I had the guidance, wisdom and support of a mentor. As a result, once I started medical school, Itried to identify people who could serve as potential mentors and with time, I have created a team of mentors who I continue to maintain relationships with even though I have completed my training.

Mentorship is an age-old concept and there are even accounts of mentor-mentee relationships throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testament. This powerful relationship circumvents
having to re-invent the wheel but forging forward along a clear path that has been laid by those who have gone before you.

There are 3 important components needed for successful mentorship:

1. Communication

2. Clarity

3. Commitment

Communicate | open/transparent | email/text/in-person meetings

Clarity | expectation | goal setting

Commitment | Mentor and Mentee

As a Christian physician, my faith plays an integral role in everything I do including the mentorship I provide tomy mentees. God is the center of this relationship and will help me serve youas mentor and help you step into your God ordained destiny. [Proverbs 19:21 –Great are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is God’s will that will prevail].

Next Steps

If you are interested in establishing a mentorship relationship with Dr. Roach, please complete a brief questionnaire and someone from our team, will be in touch with you.

Complete Questionaire

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