Bringing the Joy of Mentorship Forward

When I was in medical school, mentorship played a crucial role in my training journey. Recently, after a four-hour drop-in mentorship session with medical students, one student remarked, “It is rare to see a doctor who loves both teaching and mentoring.” I paused and replied, “Thank you—it is my honor and pleasure.” In that moment, I realized what defines a good mentor: a genuine passion for both teaching and supporting others’ growth. Early in my career, I sought out mentors who clearly found joy in guiding others, and this joy has shaped my own approach. I often tell my mentees, “You have already accomplished the most important part by being an exceptional human being, so let’s think about what else you would like to achieve.” Their immediate smiles remind me how meaningful these moments can be. Seeing mentees develop their passions and self-confidence is a continual reminder of the profound importance of mentorship.

Unique from what I learned through classes and textbooks, having a mentor provided me with invaluable guidance and support. Those experiences continue to inspire me to share the wisdom I have gained with the next generation. Textbooks teach us the facts — how to perform physical exams, understand pathology, and care for patients through their medical challenges — but mentorship offers something less tangible yet just as vital. As an obstetrics and gynecology attending now, I use my book knowledge, patient encounters, and experiences with prior mentors to help shape the advice I give to my own mentees. Mentorship is an effective tool to identify, improve, and implement strategies and skills throughout one’s career. Medicine has many challenges when it comes to training the next generation of doctors. Mentorship can help us focus on wellness, work-life balance, and the art of doctoring - all while being an effective part of the professional training process.  

Mentorship is recognized as a catalyst for career success and is important in advancement and productivity. A secondary benefit of mentorship is that guidance can be customized for each learner. Compared to traditional methods of teaching and learning, the art of medicine can be taught and personalized to the learner. Moreover, mentoring helps identify growth areas that mentees themselves may not see, opening doors to both personal insights and professional success. The biggest limitation to mentorship is finding a strong connection and facilitating a meaningful mentor-to-mentee relationship.

Mentorship programs can provide needed consistency and organization. Initiatives like The Mentor, Advisor, Coach (MAC) Program serves as just one example of how structured support can foster benefits across all stages of training. I have had the privilege of mentoring learners across the spectrum of training. In medicine, continuity of care ensures that patients are supported from prevention of illness through to recovery. Similarly, longitudinal mentorship allows mentors to support mentees throughout their entire careers, adapting guidance to their evolving needs at every phase.  

Implementation of these programs can be the hardest but most rewarding step. By fostering longitudinal mentorship and relationship building between mentors and mentees, we have the opportunity to not only find joy as mentors but inspire that same passion in those we mentor. Ultimately, we can help influence the next generation of clinicians to find joy in both mentorship and teaching.

Christina Smith-Winfield, MD, MSMS is an assistant professor in the department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Christina’s areas of professional interest include career advising, mentorship, women’s health. Christina can be followed on LinkedIn or contacted via email.