Three Questions for Dr. Mary Horowitz about Mentoring

From the 1/22/2021 newsletter

‘Take 3’ 

Three Questions for Dr. Mary Horowitz about Mentoring

Dr. Mary Horowitz, long-time MCW Faculty Member, Professor and Chief Scientific Director of the Center for International Blood &Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) shares candid thoughts about her experience with mentoring.  Dr. Horowitz has clinical and research interests in quality of life for transplant recipients and graft vs host disease, and has led incredible efforts in data sharing across bone marrow transplant centers nationally and internationally.  She has been the recipient of the MCW Distinguished Service Award, the American Society of Hematology’s Mentor Award for Clinical Science and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.  

What has surprised you most, personally, in your many years of dedicated mentoring? 

The joy I felt at my mentees’ accomplishments! I, of course, wanted them to be successful and expected to be pleased – but the degree to which their success made me happy was unexpected.

What are some common mistakes to avoid for our junior faculty who are more novice in their mentoring skills?

Don’t try to solve all of your mentee’s problems for them – and be willing to accept solutions that might not necessarily be the way you would do it. There is usually more than one good way to attack a problem. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to get granular when necessary – for example, if you see a mentee is spending too much time on committees and other service responsibilities and not enough on academic advancement, don’t just say “you are over-committed” – go through their lists of activities with them and have them decide which ones should be dropped.

Can you share a story of a successful mentoring relationship you have had, and what made it work

I have several long-term mentoring relationships that have evolved into friendships – and are now relationships where the mentoring is bidirectional. The key, I think, is to really care.  It has always been really important to me that my mentees be successful – and not only in their professional life. You cannot ignore the signs that personal issues are affecting professional responsibilities – and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask. Doesn’t mean you should pry – some people are very private – but acknowledging that our lives include more than work and that everyone sometimes has to divert their attention to things outside the workplace can relieve some of the stress and actually lead to more productivity. A little organization helps also. I started many years ago asking mentees to make a list of things to discuss during our meetings – it made the meetings much more productive and made sure that we focused on the things that mattered to them. And, as the mentee and the relationship matures, I started asking their advice on things.