I have honed my mentoring style over the past decade by working with over a dozen students one on one in the laboratory from my time as a graduate student here at the University of Michigan through my postdoctoral fellowship in Colorado, and am now excited to continue mentoring students as an assistant professor back at the University of Michigan in the Department of Pharmacology.
One of the most important lessons I teach to all my students is that they should ask questions. The fear of asking a “bad” question often silenced me as a student. Being on the other side of the conversation, I address this stigma immediately by making it clear that biology is a hypothesis-based field and many hypotheses are wrong. In fact, most good scientists design experiments specifically to disprove their hypotheses to convince themselves, and the field, that they were wrong. The knowledge gained from these experiments, regardless of the outcome, drive the field forward. So, from the beginning of our mentor-mentee relationship, I emphasize that we learn an immense amount by questioning the scientific process, not just in the final result.
While asking questions is critical for learning and understanding complex topics, in order for a student to ask questions, they need to feel comfortable. I have found that establishing trust facilitates a more open environment in which they are not intimidated to ask questions and participate. Establishing this kind of environment requires strong and clear communication between both mentor and mentee. As a mentor, I need to know when my students are overwhelmed or need support and have found that having regular meetings and an open-door policy facilitates keeping these lines of communication accessible.
Another essential part of my mentoring stye is rooted in recognizing and addressing students’ unique challenges. For example, I am proud to be the first in my family to attend college and graduate and this has shaped many aspects of my career progression. I have found that sharing parts of my story like this creates a more open and honest dialogue and improves the mentor-mentee relationship, which is so important during graduate school. Everyone’s story, though, is different, and these differences should be embraced and celebrated. One of the proudest achievements of my career that highlights this is my part in co-founding of a week-long portable short course when I was a graduate student here at Michigan called Developing Future Biologists (DFB) that brought a developmental biology lab course to Puerto Rico (and has continued to expand and thrive since I left Ann Arbor). Participating in this course gave me a first-hand look into some of the unique challenges faced by students and while I likely have not and will not experience their unique challenges, being able to discuss them is essential for a successful relationship.
My ultimate goal in mentoring and training students is to ensure their success. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to train, teach, and mentor students in my new position. Just as I have done over the past decade, I will dedicate substantial effort to creating an open, safe, and positive environment so I can do my part to ensure that my mentees find success greater than my own.