Mentoring in the Dental Profession

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  Posted by: Dental Design      29th November 2017

Mentoring is defined by the Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring as “Supporting and encouraging people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be”. It is a productive relationship based on mutual trust and respect, and should be empowering and enriching for both parties involved.

It can be an effective way for an individual to develop and grow in their career and is a popular method in dentistry to complement other training and educational resources. Selecting and finding a suitable mentor can be challenging as experience, personality and accessibility are all important factors to consider. However, once the correct person is found it can lead to a career-long, positive experience.

Benefits to the mentor:
• Someone new to bounce ideas off and offer completely fresh perspectives
• Teaching a topic is known to broaden one’s own understanding
• Mentoring will require an individual to develop new skills in communication, leadership and coaching
• Expanded professional network, which may create new friendships or encourage increased referrals for complex cases in the near future
• Provides credibility and improves reputation among the wider profession

Benefits to the mentee:
• Improved confidence in practice knowing there is someone there for help and advice in every stage of a treatment from planning to long-term maintenance
• Guidance from someone more experienced and more qualified ensures they deliver safe and effective treatment from the start
• The opportunity to learn from someone else’s mistakes and to avoid encountering similar difficulties
• More objective help for more accurate self-assessments, which can help to boost the rate of improvement

Becoming a mentor / mentee
The easier way to become a mentor or find a mentor is to build a network of professionals with similar interests to you. This provides instant access to various people who are either seeking advice or who are willing to share their own experience to help others progress. There may also be a ready-made network within your practice / corporate environment as well. Rodericks Dental, for example, prides itself on supporting and nurturing all members of staff through a comprehensive training and mentoring programme. With a network of experienced and knowledgeable dentists ready to help individuals’ progress in their chosen path, it is a company created by dentists for dentists.

For more information about careers with Rodericks, please visit www.rodericksdental.co.uk/careers, email opportunity@rodericksdental.co.uk or call 01604 602491 (option 1) and ask for Christina Regan in our Dental Recruitment Team.

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