Glenda Longoria

Mentoring Activity
August 2016

Mentoring Activity
A mentor is someone who offers their own personal knowledge about certain topics and
educates a person of less acquaintance and experience to help them develop in that area. At some
point in our lives we all will have a mentor who teaches us things about life and/or personal
development. Mentoring in the clinical environment specifically, plays an important role in
assisting clinical staff gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in their field of
work.
Often times students enter programs through their college or university and successfully
complete the coursework, however the quality of their clinical education highly depends on how
much or how little the mentor taught them in their facility. New graduates are often hired into
departments expected to know how to function independently but sometimes find that the newhire lacks the skills to perform some of the necessary duties.1 Applying mentorship programs at
the college or university level can help provide the knowledge needed before the student enters the
work force.
Few people are lucky enough to have a good mentor to guide them in their profession.
Being a good mentor means being willing to take time out of your daily routine to help another
colleague or student learn the proficiency of your work while educating them to the best of your
ability. They must be willing to educate the student while advising them and offering constructive
criticism for growth in the field (Daniel Hinojosa, DVM, oral communication, August 1, 2016).
A good mentor will also not expect the student to learn at an unreasonable pace and will understand
that they were once in their shoes as well, just trying to learn the profession (Courtney Smith, RTT,
oral communication, August 1, 2016).
Taking the role as a mentee is an incredible opportunity for those entering a new field. To
be a good mentee means being assertive, without stepping over the professional boundaries of your
mentor (Courtney Smith, RTT, oral communication, August 1, 2016). It also means asking lots of
questions and not being afraid of a challenge because that is best way to learn the ins and outs of
the field (Daniel Hinojosa, DVM, oral communication, August 1, 2016). As a mentee in a clinical
environment, I consider myself lucky to have the hands-on experience it allows for learning.
However, not all situations are ideal for mentees in their clinical coursework.

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

Mentoring is not always easy and stressful situations can arise if the dynamic between
mentor and mentee is not compatible. Students have reported undesirable experiences with their
mentors in several studies.2 The problems reported have been linked to clashing personalities,
malicious attitudes toward the student, and abuse of power, resulting in a suboptimal clinical
experience and poor learning experience.
The results of having a good mentorship program goes beyond having an efficient, welltrained employee. As the professional relationship between mentor and mentee develops, the
mentee gains confidence in their practice and the mentor may start to allow the mentee to work
more independently, becoming less dependent on the mentor.1 Mentorships have also shown to
help the mentee facilitate stressful situations more efficiently in the workplace by observing how
their mentor has handled similar situations.

Additionally, as the mentee becomes more

knowledgeable in the field and gains the confidence of their peers, the mentee will equally enjoy
their job and duties as their independence grows.
As a dosimetry intern, I have been faced with the daily challenges of learning a new
profession in a clinical and classroom environment. It has been a rough road learning for me at
times, but the mentorship relationship that I have built with my peers, colleagues, and professors
have all contributed to the knowledge that I have today in the field of medical dosimetry. Without
all of the resources provided by the university and clinic, I feel that learning this profession would
be extremely difficult. Having a mentor in the clinic who can give me feedback has proven to be
extremely beneficial in my learning process and I recommend mentorships to all clinical programs
for a better learning experience.

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

References
1. Trad M. Mentoring radiation therapy students: a review and survey. Radiation Therapist.
2009;18(2):101-108.
2. Lenards, N. Mentoring. [SoftChalk]. La Crosse, WI: UW-L Medical Dosimetry Program;
2016.

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

Appendix A
Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Interview with Daniel E. Hinojosa, D.V.M. (Transcript)
August 1, 2016
Q: What does mentoring mean to you?
A: Mentoring means taking somebody under your wing to show them the ropes of how to properly
achieve a common goal. It also means that the mentor must take an active role as a teacher, and
the mentee has to be open to criticism for better learning.
Q: At any point in your life have you ever had a mentor?
A: I have had a mentor my whole life, and lucky for me my dad has always been my biggest
mentor. He has been there for me and taught me so much about the most important parts of my
life from breeding cattle, applying to veterinary school, getting married, starting a family, and now
having our own veterinary practice together. He is still teaching me new things every day.
Q: Have you ever had to be a mentor to anyone?
A: Yes, I have. I have become a mentor in my career as a veterinarian to our employees who need
guidance when helping clients, as well as to the few veterinary interns that we have had come to
our clinic. I find teaching to be very enjoyable to me because veterinary medicine is something
that I love and know very well and am happy to share my knowledge with anyone willing to learn.
Q: Was it a difficult task? What were your frustrations with your mentee?
A: Luckily, I havent had a bad mentee experience yet. Some may not have caught on as quickly
as others, but with time everything has worked out okay.
Q: Overall, how was your experience with your mentor?
A: Well, since my mentor was my dad I have had a really great mentor relationship with him.
And actually, now that Im thinking of it, some of my professors were mentors to me as well and
I did not have any bad experiences with them at all. All of my professors while attending A&M
went above and beyond to help the students excel in the program.
Q: What makes a great mentor?
A: I think it really takes a lot of patience and a willingness to teach to be a great mentor. Some
mentors are forced into mentorship by their peers or employers and they have no desire to teach
or be watched by their mentees, making it a miserable experience for both of them.

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

Q: What is your advice to someone who is going into a mentorship program as a mentee to
facilitate learning?
A: Ask lots of questions. Dont be afraid to ask because the last thing you want to do is do
something wrong and regret not asking later.
Q: Do you think it is a good idea to provide mentors for students going into certain fields of
expertise, versus just classroom work?
A: Yes, absolutely. I dont think anyone in a clinical setting can get the real feel for what it is to
truly be in a clinical situation from reading a textbook. Students need to get out there and have a
reliable mentor so they can see what it really takes to perform their job after graduation.
Q: Do you still have contact with any of your mentors?
A: Yes, of course I see my dad every day at the clinic and we are business partners. I also keep
contact with my professors from A&M through email and Facebook.

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

Appendix B
Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Interview with Courtney Smith (Transcript)
August 1, 2016
Q: What does mentoring mean to you?
A: I dont know if I have every really had a mentor. Wait, I guess I have. Mentoring, I think, is
a role a person takes on to educate someone else in something the mentor already has experience
with.
Q: At any point in your life have you ever had a mentor?
A: Yes, at first I couldnt think of one, but then I remembered that when I first started my job as
a radiation therapist I had a coworker who sort of trained me in the department. She taught me
about all of the charges, weekly chart rounds, and treatment procedures. She helped me get
familiar with everything before she left me to my own devices, which was a huge help being a new
grad.
Q: Have you ever had to be a mentor to anyone?
A: I think so. I mean, Ive trained a few employees in the department just like my mentor did.
As my experience grew in the field, so did my confidence and the confidence of my superiors in
the department to allow me to train others when they were hired.
Q: Was it a difficult task? What were your frustrations with your mentee?
A: It wasnt frustrating at all for me. Everyone I have mentored already had experience in the
field, they just needed to learn the ways of our specific department.
Q: Overall, how was your experience with your mentor?
A: My mentor was fantastic and we still see each other often. She taught me a lot of valuable
information and was always there to help answer questions when I had them.
Q: What makes a great mentor?
A: To be a great mentor you have to put yourself in the other persons shoes and remember that
you were there once too. Its important not to assume they know certain things, especially as a
new grad. They must be willing to go above and beyond to help their mentee excel in their job.
Q: What is your advice to someone who is going into a mentorship program as a mentee to
facilitate learning?

Glenda Longoria
Mentoring Activity
August 2016

A: My advice is to not overstep your boundaries. You dont want to do anything without first
confirming that it is correct or things may not turn out so great. Learn from your mentor and ask
questions.
Q: Do you think it is a good idea to provide mentors for students going into certain fields of
expertise, versus just classroom work?
A: Most definitely. Textbooks can only teach you so much, clinical experience is essential to
learning and having a mentor there to help is a valuable thing to have.
Q: Do you still have contact with any of your mentors?
A: Yes, we try and make dates every month to see each other. We make dinner plans or go to the
movies without the kids just to catch up and have some girl time. We are very close in age, so we
get along really well.