9 minute read
The Power of Mentoring
We speak to two members who participated in the 2018 DHAA Mentor Program and discover the professional value of being mentored
By Margaret Galvin
STARTING OUT IN a new career can be daunting. How does one go from the relative safety of the learning environment at university to becoming an independent professional? What can be done when a career feels stale, or there is a need to branch out? How can a career trajectory be changed or restarted?
One way is to utilise the skills, knowledge, and experience of a mentor. A mentor possesses a willingness to share these skills, knowledge, and experience, and is able to guide a mentee no matter what stage the mentee is at in their career. The DHAA Bulletin sat down with Ian Epondulan and Shivani Kashyap, two participants from the 2018 DHAA Mentoring Programme, to find out what it was like to take part in the DHAA Mentor Programme as a mentee.
Tell us a little about yourselves.
Shivani: I am an oral health therapist (OHT). I completed my Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) at the University of Adelaide in 2017 and completed a Graduate Certificate in Oral Health Science in 2019.
My dual qualification with extended scope allows me to treat both periodontal and restorative patients in all age groups. I am currently working as an OHT with Azura Dental & Cosmetics and Tea Tree Dental. I also worked in the community with a mobile dental van which gave me the opportunity to visit schools and aged care facilities for preventive, restorative and health promotion purposes.
Shivani Kashyap
Ian: I graduated with a BOH in 2012 from The University of Sydney and started working as an OHT with NSW Health – Hunter New England Local Health District in metropolitan and rural dental clinics. Throughout my clinical practice I gained an appreciation of oral health promotion activities. I enjoyed delivering presentations in a variety of settings such as to new mothers’ groups, parents at preschool playgroups, students at TAFE, multicultural groups, new migrants, and refugees.
In 2016 I embarked on post-graduate study and graduated with a Masters of Public Health (MPH) in 2018 from The University of Sydney and subsequently gained employment with NSW Health – Northern Sydney Local Health District.
How did you find out about the DHAA Mentor Programme?
Shivani: My final year hygiene clinical tutor, Chris Corner, mentioned the mentor programme available for recent graduates and asked my interest regarding the programme.
Ian: I found out about the DHAA mentor programme through reading the DHAA Bulletin.
How was a mentor found for you?
Shivani: After I showed interest regarding the programme, my details were passed on to the programme coordinator. Dr. Melanie Hayes (CEO of DHAA, 2018) then contacted me regarding the details of the orientation and mentorship programme through email.
Ian: Dr Melanie Hayes asked questions about myself and my experiences. She was able to pair me up with the wonderful Ms Cathryn Carboon who had a similar career journey to my own. Cathryn completed a Master of Health Promotion and has a strong commitment to excellence in dental education and community based oral health promotion.
How did you communicate with your mentor?
Shivani: One of the most challenging parts of the programme, for both mentor and mentee, was arranging a schedule for the progress of the programme. My mentor, Lyn Carman, is a very active and busy DHAA member. We managed to meet in person whenever possible, however most contact was through text messages, emails, and phone calls.
Ian: A webinar was set up at the beginning of the programme for all mentors and mentees, outlining the mentoring process and answering any questions we had. A programme manual was sent by mail to both the mentor and mentee to keep track of progress. Melanie e-introduced Cathryn and I via email and although I had met Cathryn before in person through the DHAA at various events, it was nice to develop a positive mentoring relationship to learn from each other’s experiences. Being in separate States it was difficult for face-to-face interactions so we would communicate via phone, video-conference, and email. However, we have managed face-to- face interactions at DHAA workshops, events, conferences, and during the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene 2019.
What did you hope to gain from the programme?
Shivani: I joined the DHAA mentor programme to enhance my clinical knowledge and skills as good quality mentoring helps to expand professional socialisation. It gives personal support, increases the chances of success in the career after graduating from university, and gives me the opportunity to expand my network within the profession.
I hoped to gain professional skills and knowledge from my mentor’s experience and wanted to learn how to utilise my underpinning knowledge in challenging clinical scenarios. I also wanted to gain an understanding of both clinical and non-clinical issues such as continuing professional development, scope of practice, employment contracts, roles and responsibilities of an OHT, and indemnity insurance.
I was looking for guidance to begin my career with a smooth transition from student to independent professional so it was an opportunity to gain from a mentor’s clinical experience and skills, and to increase my network within the profession.
Ian: I hoped to gain a mentor who could share the experiences of their career journey, and guidance to see what opportunities were possible after having completed my post-graduate degree. I did not have too many expectations other than to be able to converse with someone outside of work to share my career journey so far.
I wanted to get a new perspective, to gain wisdom from a mentor who has had a similar pathway in their career to help me discern the right direction for what I wanted from my own career.
What did you gain from the programme?
Shivani: This programme had a lot of potential but I was unable to utilise it to the fullest due to time restraints.
I was, however, fortunate enough to receive guidance from my mentor regarding clinical and non-clinical components. The programme allowed me to contact other dental practitioners with expertise in restorative and periodontal areas, which in-turn gave me the confidence to make treatment plans and appropriate referrals.
The programme and my mentor also supported me when undertaking job interviews, reviewing contracts, and navigating indemnity insurance.
Ian: I gained so much valuable advice from Cathryn. It was beyond what I initially expected and I was encouraged to go outside of my comfort zone and take up new opportunities.
Some of the highlights and outcomes of the programme included; presenting three lectures and a webinar for the DHAA as a guest speaker; writing five articles in the DHAA Bulletin about oral health promotion and public health; further developing my leadership skills through becoming the Chair of the Oral Health Promotion and Public Health Committee (OHPPHC) for the DHAA and in-turn strengthening the partnership with the Rethink Sugary Drink Alliance; enhancing my role within the Students and Young Professionals in Public Health (SYPPH) Committee with the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA); gaining encouragement from Cathryn to apply, and be accepted, to present a rapid-fire presentation and poster abstract on my research about “Considering a sugar tax on Sugary Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) in Australia” as part of the Empowerment Theme at the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene 2019.
Was it clinical, career, professional or personal mentoring advice offered, and has it changed your career path/trajectory and clinical practice?
Shivani: Although my involvement with the programme was not longterm, it still helped me to develop professionally. It allowed me to become more confident in overcoming the transition from the supportive student clinical environment at university to that of the independent practitioner.
Meetings included all aspects of professional development including clinical topics such as instrumentation, tooth whitening, medical histories; and non-clinical topics such as dealing with anxious, aggressive, and other challenging patients.
Ian Epondulan
Ian: The mentoring advice given to me encompassed clinic, career, personal and professional matters.
The programme has changed my career path/trajectory through making me more confident and aware of the skills I already had, but unlocking them to their full potential.
I now have a clearer picture of the direction I want to take in my career journey, After learning about research and grant applications I may consider doing further study in the future and combining that with clinical practice.
I have gained a deeper appreciation of my clinical practice as it has placed a picture of the concept of oral health beyond clinical practice and into the Public Health Realm, Health Promotion and Advocacy.
I also have a better understanding of health literacy, working with allied health professionals in an interdisciplinary approach, and fine tuning skills in interpreting evidence based literature which can be put back into practice.
What did you like and what would you change about the programme?
Shivani: I liked having my mentor share her valuable skills and experience, the guidance that was provided for my professional development, and expanding my network.
The programme, however, needs ongoing support and a more structured approach. The programme started well but maintaining the inconsistency of the sessions due to the busy schedule of mentor and mentee was the main challenge. This issue should be considered for future reference.
Ian: What I liked about the programme was the flexibility between the mentor and the mentee in terms of communication. It provided a framework to develop the goals and milestones that I wanted to achieve.
The programme coordinator also made sure that we were on the right track through email reminders that ensured we were both accountable for each other within the programme. There is nothing I would change about the programme as it has been a wonderful opportunity.
Would you recommended the programme to others?
Shivani: I strongly recommend that new graduates participate in this programme . It not only encourages learning from the mentor’s rich experience, but also motivates the mentee to gain the confidence to work independently.
Ian: I would strongly recommend the programme to others because it has opened up so many opportunities.
It has enabled me to converse with someone and get feedback on their insights and thoughts from a different perspective.
The programme has allowed me to step back and take time to reflect on what I have accomplished in my career journey so far, and encouraged me to explore the next steps regarding where, and how, to take it further.
I am thankful to all those involved in the coordination of the DHAA mentor programme and grateful to Cathryn who really has brought the very best out of me. In return I hope that she gained something out of the process and wish her all the best in her career. I am confident that she will continue to inspire many others on their journeys.
I hope that as my career progresses and I gain more experience that I would be able to offer back that same mentorship to others, especially new graduates, in their career pathway.
