Delivering the 1997 Dean’s Distinguished Lecture, Ellis Avner, MD, discussed the responsibilities of mentoring, using Dante’s Divine Comedy as a framework. With a full audience at Scott Hall, he established a "hierarchy of mentor’s hell," comparing Dante’s "gluttons," for example, to those who are unable to make the transition from mentor to colleague. "Gluttons," he says, are defined as having the "inability to see the trainee as anything other than a creation in one’s own image." Dr. Avner recognizes this as a dangerous mentor strategy which does not promote individual characteristics and may not appropriately draw on the strengths and skills of the trainee.
Dr. Avner said Dante’s "heretics" are like those mentors who foster a selective scientific agenda and the "spendthrifts" are those who inappropriately take honorary authorship on their trainees’ publications. Furthermore, "heathens" are poor judges of trainees’ potential and those who are "fraudulent" promote unethical research by tolerating fraud.
"Can you really teach research ethics?" Dr. Avner questioned. "You can teach by example. If you are selective in your review of literature, or if you trim statistics, it sets you in motion on this pathway that leads to unethical behavior. And promoting unethical research is just as bad as performing it."
Although his tone was lighthearted, Dr. Avner’s message was strong. "Do not take on mentoring if you are not serious about mentoring," he said. "It takes time, commitment and energy, and it’s often not reflected at committee meetings and in merit reviews." Although the realistic picture of mentoring may be daunting, Dr. Avner is confident in its value. Afterall, he says, "mentoring is the only way to guarantee the future of scientific inquiry."
Dr. Avner is professor and chairman of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University, and pediatrician-in-chief for Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture is held annually to provide a forum for education and discussion of issues related to academic medicine with relevance to physicians, administrators and other health care providers.