Table 4.

Mentorship: ignition sequence.

Theme	Construct definition	Representative quote(s)
Launch	Mentorship is a labor of love, its success as likely to depend on the labor as on the love parts of the equation; it requires focus and care hovering in balance over two separate domains: that of the other's work and that of the other.	They seemed more hands-on, even though what they were doing clinically and research-wise didn't totally line up with my specific interest. But there were enough parallels and this person had a large research group, much more formalized structures, lab meetings, presentations, one-on-one meetings, work with postdocs and people at other levels. And that worked well for me. The fit with the person, I think 9 times out of 10 is more important than the scientific fit.
Orbit	Mentorship provides a means through which to identify, coax, and ultimately ignite the dormant potential of another. A mentor can see what is best in a mentee and help propel it forth, often seeing this potential well before the mentee can, sometimes even as the latter's self-doubts continue.	Emotions ran high and it was stressful when I presented. But I got excellent feedback and felt like, “Oh, this is how it's supposed to be. This is how I'm actually going to refine things and move forward rather than all those muddled attempts I had made before.” It was the first click that this research thing could actually happen for me. It was so helpful having a community of folks that have gone through it and made it to the other side, and who know you well and can give you honest feedback too.
Landing	Internalization can be seen as providing a useful metric for the success of the experience: Those individuals capable of invoking and making use of the other have been effectively mentored. A natural corollary is that in the process, they themselves have become mentors to others and the cycle and its transmission of values have effectively moved forth.	Have I ended any mentor experience, any mentor relationships? I have moved on to different projects and mentors –but I have not formally ended anything.
Woes	Upon first signing up to the task, mentors should remember that no matter how talented, their charges may be quite vulnerable early on. They would do well to recall how vulnerable they themselves once were, and recognize, with more awe than fear, that their influence can be enormous, but not de facto for the better.	I really wasn't well equipped to take advantage of mentorship at the stage, I just didn't really know what I was supposed to be doing or how the process worked. I am all for being active and invested in the relationship, but I needed basic guidance to get started and not lose those precious years learning the ropes.

Table's title, themes, and construct definitions are adapted from (19).