Sonography Mentorships: Benefits and Advice

Graduation season will soon be in full swing, and the Class of 2022 will be entering the workforce. It’s a great time to build relationships and take on new roles. One relationship we want you to consider? Mentorship. Mentorship offers opportunities that benefit both mentors and mentees, their workplaces, their patients, and the healthcare field in general. 

But first, let’s get a definition... 

Defining Mentorship 

Mentorship can take many forms, but in essence, mentorship is the pairing of a junior professional with a seasoned pro to meet a goal. Mentorship goals vary, but some common ones are moving to a senior position, obtaining additional training and certifications, or gaining confidence in a new workplace.  

How each mentorship pursues its goal also varies considerably, and it's up to each pairing to determine what works best for them. Formal mentorship has a specific plan and timeline. This requires prep work, meeting deadlines, and scheduling check-ins to determine progress and discuss challenges. Informal mentorship, on the other hand, doesn’t have a set plan. It often occurs serendipitously when a young professional returns to the same senior for advice and feedback, or when a senior professional chooses to take a junior under their wing to ensure they make progress. 

All mentorships, regardless of their formality, are distinctly different from shadowing relationships. The key difference? Shadowing is an observation-only role. Mentorship requires participation. 

Benefits of Mentorship 

People involved in mentorships experience a high level of personal fulfillment. They also report the mentoring relationship builds character, challenges their comfort levels, and creates lasting connections. Mentorship is so valuable that young professionals who take on the mentee role will often continue the cycle and become mentors later in their careers. 

For mentees, mentorship fosters personal insights and can inspire them to pursue education paths they hadn’t previously considered. Mentorship is also a grounding experience, especially for young professionals. The time after graduation can feel frantic and entering a career can be daunting. Having a mentor fosters professional stability and confidence.  

On the other hand, taking on a mentee forces mentors to draw on their depth of experience and reframe their knowledge for a junior. This process hones their communication skills and gives them practice in servant leadership. Since mentors need to model best practices, they also often do a better job of remaining updated on recent research and policy shifts. 

If those aren’t enough reasons to encourage and engage in mentorship, consider the impact it has on workplaces. Mentorship can decrease turnover rates by setting clear expectations, increasing training opportunities, and building confidence in new hires. It causes partnerships to develop within the department and leads to greater diversity when minority young professionals choose a sonography career or specialty because a mentor similar to them encouraged their development. Diversity among sonography experts also adds value to the entire healthcare community and fosters interdisciplinary knowledge-sharing. 

Advice to Mentors 

Now that we know what mentorship is and all the benefits it can provide, let’s discuss some suggestions for each role. Openness and communication are the keys to the game. Our recommendations for mentors include:  

• Demonstrate an openness to questions by frequently questioning your mentee. Give them casual pop quizzes to build their confidence and memory. Ask about their comfort level with different aspects of the job and different exam types. 

• Be honest and human. Open up about your mess-ups, good advice you’ve received, and interesting cases you’ve seen. 

• Communicate to your mentee that they are a trusted member of the team. No micromanaging or helicopter mentoring allowed! Mentees grow best under a watchful eye, not a heavy hand. 

We know some people will struggle with how abstract this relationship feels. If that is the case, consider using a method focused on responsibilities and duties. For example, one of a sonographer’s responsibilities is to conduct ultrasound exams. The job duties that affect this responsibility include operating sonographic equipment, troubleshooting transducer positions, and educating patients. Ask your mentee about each duty and use their responses as indicators of where more guidance is needed. 

Advice to Mentees 

Our keys to a valuable mentorship are openness and communication. For mentees, that means focusing on taking ownership of their learning journey: 

• Ask questions. Do not guess. 

• Request feedback if your mentor doesn’t provide it. 

• Help your mentor out by identifying areas where you want more practice.  

• Never stop learning! 

And remember, even if a mentor doesn’t approach you, you can initiate the relationship. Start by making a list of goals. Good examples include building confidence, working with color Doppler, moving from 2D to 3D ultrasound, or decreasing time per scan. Then identify potential mentors and schedule time to meet up with them. Discuss your list of goals and ask them if they have time to provide feedback and advice. Don’t take rejection personally. If they refuse, just move on to the next candidate on your list. 

If you’re stuck and don’t know where to turn, you can always learn from our mentors! We publish free webinars every month that you can complete at your convenience. 

What’s Your Mentorship Story? 

Whichever role you are most fit for, we hope you will consider pursuing a meaningful mentorship in the coming months.  

Do you have any advice or want to share your mentorship story? Tell us in the comments!