In this blog post, I’d like to share my experience of receiving leadership mentorship as an International Medical Graduate (IMG) in the UK. This was my first formal mentorship as a new doctor in the NHS, and it proved invaluable. After this transformative experience, I consolidated my decision to pursue a career in General Practice.
The Questions That Drove My Journey
I’ve always been curious about how healthcare organisations work and how they can be improved. I often reflected on questions like: What kind of care is best for the population? What qualities are required to lead a productive health service? Are there mentors in the health service who can help others lead well?
To answer these questions, I pursued a postgraduate certification in clinical leadership and management. During my studies, I gained knowledge about different aspects of leadership, including change theories, service improvement methods, and organisational culture. I explored sources like Britnell’s comparative analysis of health systems around the world, examining what makes the NHS tick (Britnell, 2015).
But learning wasn’t enough—I wanted to apply what I’d learned in the real world. I got involved in quality improvement projects at the hospital where I worked, collaborating with stakeholders to make positive changes in patient care using tools like Kotter’s change model and IHI improvement methods. I also published a small handbook on quality improvement for health providers, having gained a deeper understanding of the system I was part of and how policies and regulations influenced it.
However, I still felt I needed more guidance and support. I wanted to learn from someone with experience and expertise in leading change in primary care. That’s why I sought mentorship. I hoped it would help me grow as a leader and teach me how to deal with practical issues like communication and stakeholder management.
Why Mentorship Matters for Leadership Development
I believe mentorship is an excellent way to develop leadership skills. Ann (2006) defines it as an educational process that improves individuals’ leadership capabilities—also known as a developmental relationship. Many researchers and educators agree that mentorship can build capacity for better knowledge and skills in the workplace (Gagliardi et al., 2009).
Finding My Mentor: A Serendipitous Match
Let me tell you how I found my mentor and what I learned from her. At the time, I was working as a trust-grade clinical fellow in geriatric medicine. I asked some senior consultants for advice, and they kindly referred me to the program manager for my clinical fellowship. After she interviewed me, I was matched with the trust’s divisional director for primary care services, who became my mentor.
Once a week for four months, I visited her GP surgery and shadowed her. I observed her daily work and joined board meetings where they discussed a major change project: reorganising primary care services into a Primary Care Network (PCN). In 2019, the introduction of PCNs was a strategic move to form fully integrated community-based health services. It was exactly the exposure I needed to grasp the scope of requirements in primary care health service leadership.
What Makes Great Mentorship
Our mentorship relationship was incredibly positive and supportive. She did more than just teach me. Our relationship embodied all the characteristics described in Hayes’ research, cited in Hawkins & Fontenot (2010), which states that good mentorship is accomplished through “teaching, socialising, providing opportunity, sponsoring, coaching, guiding, protecting, advising and counselling, encouraging, inspiring, challenging, role modelling, supporting and befriending.”
Key Lessons Learned
We talked extensively about leadership capability. One key lesson I learned was that you don’t always have to know the right answers, and you have to be willing to learn and adapt. We also explored how to effectively assess the strategic importance of leading change, including the necessary skills, behaviours, and competencies.
As a clinician working in secondary care at the time, observing her patient care showed me how a GP serves as a healthcare coordinator, connecting patients with a range of services and resources: social care, ambulance services, emergency care, and specialty services.
What impressed me most was her direct involvement in her patients’ lives from cradle to grave. She made joint decisions with them during consultations, and they trusted and appreciated her. When we visited them at home, they were happy to see us and welcomed us warmly. I also felt comfortable with the surgery’s administrative staff, who were friendly and helpful.
Five Essential Attributes to Find and Keep a Great Mentor
You might be wondering how to find and keep a great mentor. Here are five essential attributes you need:
1. Be Inquisitive
Curiosity should be a personal attribute. To benefit from a mentor, you need to be curious about their journey, challenges, achievements, and insights. You also need to be curious about yourself—your goals, strengths, and areas for improvement. Curiosity will help you ask the right questions, listen actively, and apply what you learn to your own situation.
2. Be Humble
Be open to learning from others. Humility will help you respect your mentor’s time and expertise, appreciate their feedback, and acknowledge their contribution to your success. It will also help you avoid being defensive, arrogant, or entitled when interacting with your mentor. Good communication skills are essential here—learn to be polite and speak clearly.
3. Be Proactive
Initiative is the willingness to take action and responsibility for your own development. It will help you find and reach out to potential mentors, communicate your expectations and needs, and follow up on action plans. Initiative will also drive you to seek other learning opportunities, such as reading books, taking courses, attending events, or joining communities related to your interests.
4. Be Adaptable
Adaptability is the ability to adjust and cope with changing situations and feedback. It will help you embrace new challenges and learn from your mistakes. You’ll be able to deal with scheduling issues, communication gaps, or mismatched expectations. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification, feedback, or help when you need it.
5. Be Grateful
You need an optimistic mindset to attract opportunities and success in life. Gratitude will help you build positive relationships with your mentor and other people who support your career.
Moving Forward
These five attributes have helped me achieve successful mentorship relationships, and I remain grateful for the learning I’ve gleaned from the great mentors along my career path.
My mentorship experience transformed my career, and I believe in paying that forward. If you’re an IMG or doctor considering General Practice, I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your journey into primary care. Reach out for a complimentary consultation. Let’s explore your path together.
Check out this article on “An exclusive leadership conversation that will boost your career”
References
Ann, S. M. (2006). Leadership development in healthcare: A qualitative study. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 27(7), 967. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.417>
Britnell, M. (2015). In search of the perfect health system. London Palgrave.
Gagliardi, A.R., Perrier, L., Webster, F., Leslie, K., Bell, M., Levinson, W., Rotstein, O., Tourangeau, A., Morrison, L., Silver, I.L. and Straus, S.E. (2009) Exploring mentorship as a strategy to build capacity for knowledge translation research and practice: protocol for a qualitative study. Implementation Science [online], 4(1), pp. 55 [Accessed 1 February 2024]. Available at: <https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-55>.
Hawkins, J.W. and Fontenot, H.B. (2010) Mentorship: the heart and soul of health care leadership. Journal of Healthcare Leadership [online], 2 pp. 31-34.
King’s Fund (2018). A year of integrated care systems: reviewing the journey so far. (online). [Accessed 1 February 2024]. Available at: <https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/year-integrated-care-systems>.
