Select a mentor who is relatable in terms of clinical practice.

Cultivate a psychologically safe environment to discuss challenging case or request intraoperative guidance.

Failure of the mentor or mentee to openly and honestly acknowledge successes and failures.

Self-critical or punitive attitudes toward clinical complications.

Maximize meeting productivity with a focused agenda.

Keep the mentee’s best interest in mind in terms of authorship, recognition, promotion.

Engaging in a research mentorship when one or both parties lack bandwidth.

Failure for both parties to set clear goals and meet deadlines.

Identify mentors who have followed a similar leadership pathway (eg, advanced degree, administrative role, etc) to understand the nature of the commitment.

Mentors should help seek out leadership and job opportunities, committee participation, and national or global engagement.

Not being open to ongoing mentorship as one progresses through their career or inability to consider ‘non-traditional’ opportunities.

Choosing leadership roles, pathways, or mentors that do not align with one’s interests, strengths, and academic mission.

Be strategic and pragmatic in selecting the organization that best fits your needs and try to diversify your mentors across institutions.

Identify at least one ‘hard target’ or deliverable from committee or professional society engagement.

Avoid overcommitting to multiple mentors or committees and not being able to deliver.

Do not use professional society mentorship as a substitute for local mentorship, as the mentor will lack specific insight for local programmatic issues.

Find an experienced surgeon who can help navigate a long-term career, transitions between civilian and military practice, and leverage opportunities across professional surgical societies where indicated.

Whether planning a long-term or short-term career, seek out deployment or overseas experiences as these can be challenging and incredibly rewarding.

Failure to obtain a clear sense of the metrics for success and promotion in your current military or civilian setting.

Failure to maintain clinical proficiency or seek opportunities when off duty or not deployed.