Leave the Ladder Down: The Power of Mentoring

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At the Fall Clinical PA/NP 2025 conference, Lauren Miller, PA-C, MPAS, delivered a compelling presentation titled “Cultivating the Next Generation: How to Become a Mentor,” emphasizing mentorship as a foundational element of professional growth in clinical dermatology.¹ Far from being a peripheral subject, Miller posited that mentorship is essential to closing the knowledge gap left by formal education and is key to strengthening the dermatology profession at large.²

Miller’s central thesis is that mentorship should not be optional—it is necessary. She stressed that traditional schooling for PAs and NPs does not adequately prepare clinicians for the complexities of dermatologic care. Mentorship, therefore, serves a dual function: it bridges the educational divide and fosters continuity and trust within the clinical community. When seasoned professionals share their knowledge and experience with newcomers, it not only improves patient care outcomes but also contributes to standardizing high-quality practices across the field.

For mentees, the benefits of mentorship are numerous. It accelerates the clinical learning curve by offering real-time access to expert insights, provides networking opportunities otherwise unavailable to newer professionals, and boosts confidence in both clinical and interpersonal settings. Miller emphasized that confidence plays a vital role in patient interactions, and that patients often sense a provider’s self-assuredness—or lack thereof. A strong mentoring relationship can significantly contribute to a clinician’s sense of preparedness and assurance in clinical decision-making.

On the other side of the equation, mentors derive value from the relationship as well. Mentorship helps them maintain up-to-date knowledge and refines their clinical reasoning by requiring them to articulate and defend their practices. It also offers personal fulfillment and a renewed sense of purpose. Miller likened the act of mentoring to the joy of giving gifts, describing it as profoundly rewarding to watch someone else achieve a career goal thanks to one's guidance.

Importantly, Miller dispelled the notion that mentorship is reserved for elite or senior practitioners. She encouraged all professionals—regardless of title or years in practice—to consider mentoring, asserting that everyone has unique experiences and insights to offer. Accessibility is key; informal mentorship can be as simple as offering to review a resume, answer clinical questions via email, or introduce a colleague to a relevant industry contact.

She acknowledged, however, that mentorship does come with challenges. Time constraints and the potential for burnout are real concerns, particularly in demanding clinical environments. To address this, Miller advised prospective mentors to set clear expectations and boundaries from the outset. Mentorship need not be time-intensive or formalized; it can be flexible and shaped to fit the mentor’s capacity.

Miller also explored the ripple effect of mentorship, illustrating how one supportive interaction can reverberate through a mentee’s career and beyond. Using her own experience as an example, she recounted how a mentor’s early encouragement steered her toward specialization in psoriatic disease and opened leadership opportunities within the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA). Her trajectory, in turn, enabled her to mentor others—further amplifying the original act of support.

Concluding her presentation with the mantra “leave the ladder down,” Miller issued a call to action: choose 1 person this year to mentor, however informally. Likewise, she encouraged mentees to proactively seek guidance, noting that respect and admiration are often reciprocated with generosity and insight. Her parting advice, “You don’t get what you don’t ask for,” encapsulates the proactive mindset that both mentors and mentees must adopt to cultivate meaningful, career-advancing relationships.

In sum, Lauren Miller’s address underscored mentorship as not only a professional responsibility but also a strategic tool for cultivating a resilient, skilled, and compassionate clinical workforce. As the dermatology field continues to evolve, mentorship will remain a cornerstone of sustainable professional development and leadership cultivation.

References

1. Miller L. Cultivating the next generation: Becoming a mentor. Presentation at Fall Clinical PA/NP 2025 Conference; May 30-June 2, 2025; Orlando, Florida.

2. Hussain K, Patel N, Fearfield L, Roberts N, Staughton R. Mentorship in dermatology: a necessity in difficult times. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2022;47(3):622-623. doi:10.1111/ced.15071