1. How to Choose & Be An Excellent Mentor Margot S. Damaser, Ph.D.
Staff, Dept of Biomedical Engineering
and Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH USA
Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
Senior Rehabilitation Research Career Scientist
Advanced Platform Technology Center of Excellence
Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH

2. Who is a Mentor?
Mentor – (noun)
An experienced and trusted adviser

3. Who Am I? I earned my Ph.D. in Bioengineering in 1994
Highly interdisciplinary topic with mentors from Bioengineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Urology, Statistics
I did 2 postdocs between 1994 and 1996 gaining several more mentors – Scientists & Urologists
In 1996 I started as Assistant Professor in Chicago at
Hines VA Hospital and Loyola University Medical School
I began to mentor Residents, graduate students, and
other trainees
I have mentored the research of over 50 trainees with a
wide variety of backgrounds and career goals, trajectories
Including Urology & Gynecology Residents & Fellows, Medical
Students, graduate students in engineering & biology, postdocs,
foreign fellows, undergraduate & high school interns
I have published 85 papers & 25 reviews with trainees
I have no official training in mentoring

4. So, how do you find a good mentor?
Mentoring
The essential difference between an adviser and a mentor is that the adviser directs while the mentor guides
An adviser often has an agenda, be it to point your research in a particular direction or merely to publish more papers
Foremost among a mentor's concerns are your professional development and personal well-being
A mentor offers you support, guidance, and even solace with no other motive than helping you identify and reach your own goals
A mentor is someone you can open yourself up to without fearing deleterious consequences
So, how do you find a good mentor?

5. How to Find an Excellent Mentor
Seek them Out
Go to seminars, ask a question, listen how it is answered, contact the speaker afterward if you think they have potential
say ‘Yes’ if invited to a meeting, lunch, dinner with a visitor
Know what mentoring you need at your current stage and look for people who can provide it
Conduct Auditions
Ask about experience with specific areas/topics
Ask about willingness to mentor on specific topics
Ask about mentoring philosophy
Look for humanity
Recognize that one mentor isn’t enough and that
mentors can & often should be different from advisors
5) Participate in a mentoring ladder
6) Stay in touch

6. How to get the most from a mentor
Know your goals, either short- or long-term
Choose a mentor to help with specific goals
Discuss mutual goals and expectations
Learn to accept and give feedback
Practice good communication
Know your path is your responsibility
Try to avoid burning bridges if things don’t work out
Try mentoring someone yourself

7. How to be an Excellent Mentor
Respect your mentees; learn from them too
Care about the mentees future career
Be professional
Communicate clearly and nonjudgmentally
Understand strengths & weakness of mentees
Encourage growth in areas of strength
Facilitate improvement in areas of weakness often by providing opportunities to practice a new or weak skill
Inspire to perspire
Be patient and positive
Be responsive to mentee’s needs in a timely fashion
Understand that there is a wide variety of normal
Show your humanity

8. We Recruit!