in everything that I do. It’s part of my personality, the very fabric of who I am,” she says. “I can reassure, reaffirm, support, share and encourage other dentists. It comes naturally. There are moments in everyone’s life when you need someone to build you up, shine you up, and set you back on your path. And that’s what good mentors do.” Both Dr. Sharief and Dr. Fedorowich say they give advice on career planning, evolving technology in dentistry, and how to become involved in community service and organized dentistry. “We have new graduates showing their associate contracts to their mentors and saying, ‘Can you go through this with me?’” says Dr. Sharief. Dr. Fedorowich says the mentorship program helps keep him current on trends and how dentistry is evolving. Both dentists say that in a world where information is increasingly accessible and overwhelming, having fellow dentists to talk with and navigate issues with is helpful. “The greatest outcome of mentorship is a sense of community,” says Dr. Fedorowich. “Isolation can be very hard on us, so putting an emphasis on building relationships, and doing so early in a dental career, can make a huge difference.” What Makes a Mentorship Relationship Successful? Dr. Fedorowich warns that one potential pitfall is not making enough time for a variety of interactions. “Our program is structured, in part, but it’s also important that the pair get together on their own to have casual openended conversations,” he says. “As a mentor, I want to be able to help with the unique needs of my mentee.” “A good fit between two personalities helps a lot,” adds Dr. Sharief. “Which is why we do the speed-dating type session at the outset instead of assigning students to mentors arbitrarily. Often students want to be paired with people who have chosen a career path that they also plan to do.” Dr. Sharief notes that it is important to feel you can be vulnerable in front of your mentor. “Do you feel safe enough to say when you don’t know what you are doing?” she says. “Will you feel safe saying that you’re struggling with something?” A mentor needs to be available, both practically and emotionally, to their mentee. “From my experience, it’s usually a good fit when the mentor listens more and talks less,” says Dr. Fedorowich. “Often, people can find their own solutions if you simply listen and ask questions. Mentorship is not really a teacherstudent relationship. It’s a two-way relationship where ideas and knowledge are actually coming from both people.” When they received their CDA award, Dr. Fedorowich thanked Dr. Sharief, calling her the best colleague that he could hope for. Dr. Sharief called Dr. Fedorowich her “guiding-light mentor.” Though their terms as co-chairs of the program have ended, both Dr. Fedorowich and Dr. Sharief have chosen to stay on as mentors. Listen to a podcast with Dr. Huma Sharief and Dr. Craig Fedorowich on CDA Oasis: bit.ly/3ALDjer Learn more about the Manitoba mentorship program at: bit.ly/3AEN2Dl Isolation can be very hard on us, so putting an emphasis on building relationships, and doing soearly inadental career, can make a huge difference. Dr. Huma Sharief (DMD, University of Manitoba, 2014) is a general dentist at Assiniboine Dental Group inWinnipeg, Manitoba. Dr. Craig Fedorowich (DMD, University of Manitoba, 1986) is a general dentist at Mountain Dental in Neepawa, Manitoba. 24 | 2024 | Issue 6 Issues and People
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