What are the Most Important Characteristics of a Good Mentor?
The following question and answers come from an e-mail survey that was sent out to women scientists all across the country. Every couple months the responses will be updated. As you can see from the replies, the experience of each woman in science is very different! “Being a good listener, sympathetic but realistic, able to give you a good push when you need it, honest, forthright, available.” – Veterinarian, Name withheld “Someone who has gone through the tough times, understands the difficulties in learning a complex subject, can empathize with the frustrations inherent to science and encourage the tenacity necessary to succeed. And above all, someone who can recognize the unique needs each one of us has in dealing with our interpersonal relationships and how this relates to our professional development — and can teach the skills necessary to succeed in both arenas; for without strong personal self-esteem and interpersonal skills, it is difficult, if not impossible to succeed in a s
