MentorshipMentorship is critical to the success of people throughout one’s career with regards to productivity, career satisfaction, and professional development. Often one has several mentors who each serve unique purposes such as doing research, writing grants, balance work-life issues, and navigation departmental politics. Being a mentor is often a thankless job. In this survey, thank your mentor by sharing lessons that you have learned from him/her. Great pearls are worth sharing.

My Mentors

OK I’ll start. I have had so many great mentors throughout my career but three particularly stand out as superstars. Here are some things I have learned along the way from them:

  • Dr. Amal Mattu: Be humble. Lead by example. Find an academic niche. Teaching IS the most noble profession. 
  • Dr. Ron Dieckmann: Go big or go home. Success is limited by only your imagination and creativity. Don’t be discouraged by naysayers.
  • Dr. Wendy Coates: Publishing in peer-reviewed journals is still the highest unit of currency in education and academia. Be scholarly in teaching. Make education and education research fun – surround yourself with great, hard-working, and inspirational people!  

Who are your mentors?

Feel free to fill out this form more than one time for different mentors. The results are embedded below. For those with the most number of mentions, I’ll invite them be highlighted in the “Hero Spotlight” series. 

Michelle Lin, MD
ALiEM Founder and CEO
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Michelle Lin, MD

@M_Lin

Professor of Emerg Med at UCSF-Zuckerberg SF General. ALiEM Founder @aliemteam #PostitPearls at https://t.co/50EapJORCa Bio: https://t.co/7v7cgJqNEn
Michelle Lin, MD