The Mentorship Mindset with Dr. Danielle Jones

Danielle Jones, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. She is the Medical Director of the Musculoskeletal Procedure Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Jones is an Associate Program Director for Emory's Internal Medicine Residency program with a primary focus on ambulatory education. Dr. Jones is a member of Emory’s Academy of Medical Educators and also directs Emory’s Primary Care Consortium. Dr. Jones is a huge proponent of mentorship and sponsorships, continually mentoring students, residents, and faculty at Emory and beyond. Dr. Jones has won numerous awards as an educator, including multiple learner-nominated awards, the Southern Society of General Internal Medicine Clinician Educator of the Year Award, the Emory Department of Medicine’s Silver Pear Mentorship Award, and most recently, the Emory School of Medicine Mentoring Award. Dr. Jones is an active member of both the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine and SGIM, serves as co-chair of the SGIM Education Committee. We all like to hear we’re doing a great job. But the truth is praise alone doesn’t make us better. Dr. Danielle Jones shares that we have to approach mentorship with a growth mindset, in which we seek and absorb the critical feedback we are given. Otherwise it doesn’t help us. It is imperative we are intentional about our mentoring relationships and thoughtful in setting specific goals and expectations. This mindset will take us to new heights. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. Mentorship is a comprehensive solution—it’s not piecemeal. 2. When it comes to mentorship, be proactive. If we’re not, we see the leaky pipeline—where successful people fall through the cracks. 3. Maintain a growth mindset: We’re not here to get a pat on the back, we’re here to find out what we can do better, and how we can improve daily.