Everyone needs a mentor (or a mentee)

As someone in the throes of an exciting career change, I’ve spent a lot of time lately reflecting on where I’ve been and where I’m going. There have been so many women who have mentored me along the way – whether they’ve known it or not – and it’s especially meaningful to me right now that OWL is launching a formal Mentoring Program.

As I write, Mentoring Program Chair Heather Ready and Committee Member Marsha Link are sitting down with the applications of dozens of mentors and mentees to create mentoring pairs. These pairs will then, on their own, decide the terms of their mentoring relationship – what they want to accomplish, how often they want to be in communication, what challenges they’ll face.

The Mentoring Program is an exciting new way for OWL members to tap into our network of highly talented and well-connected professionals in ophthalmology. Whether you are ready to take your career to the next level, need support to bring the work/life balance into balance, or could use the perspective of someone who has walked in your shoes, I encourage you to consider joining the OWL Mentoring Program.

And if you’re in a position to give back, if you’re the one who has already walked in those shoes, I also encourage you to consider joining the Mentoring Program. Mentors often say they get just as much out of the mentoring relationship as they give.

If you’re interested in signing up or learning more, please contact Heather Ready at heather.ready56@gmail.com.

And be sure to mark your calendar for the OWL reception and program at the AAO meeting on Oct. 26 – we’re focusing our program on the Mentoring Program!

Yari Mitchell is OWL’s current president and principal for FLAREMark LLC, a medical marketing consulting firm dedicated to helping companies break away from the everyday marketing noise. She can be reached at yarimitchell@gmail.com.

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