Tips To Become A Great Mentor

You know it’s good to keep a close eye on you but clearly a lot about FOX when I first started as I was just treated as a clinician just like everybody else. You know I was treated the same as someone who had maybe been here for five years and you know obviously with the mentor still there but just they respected my opinions on things.

This is FOXcast OT. A podcast for clinicians made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at foxrehab.org.

Jimmy McKay, PT, DPT: Welcome to FOXcast OT. I’m your host physical therapist Jimmy McKay. On the program today all the way from Charleston South Carolina one of my colleagues here with FOX Rehabilitation. Nate Bostrom welcome to the show.

Nate Bostrom, MOT, OTR/L: Thanks Jim.

Jimmy: Today we’re bringing you on the show to talk about something that is near and dear to your heart. You know what you learned from our mentorship program and how others can use that to grow both clinically and professionally. Let’s start with an easy question. How long you’ve been with the practice as an OT?

Nate: Been with the practice for one year.

Jimmy: Fresh clinician and we like to hear that. So excited to hear your insight because I feel like you’re in a unique point in a career as you know you passed school. You’re out. You’re practicing and going through a mentorship program. Now you can start you’re close enough to those students who were in OT school. You kind of know what they’re going through. You’re able to give some pretty good advice so that’s what we like to have you on the show here. So in terms of a mentorship program and how it can help you grow clinically and professionally what’s your what’s your first bit of advice.

Nate: Having a supportive experience clinician pretty much there whenever you need them. I mean that’s actually pretty much how I found FOX is I saw the mentorship program when I did my research and that’s really what drew me to it. You learn a lot in school obviously but nothing compares to the real world. And you know once you start actually treating the patients you know going out and seeing them it really is super beneficial to have someone who’s already been in you know not only the OT field but you know doing house calls because that’s a whole other you know ball game. Yeah it’s just great to have them kind of there with their knowledge for any treatment questions and anything you need for scheduling strategies and the value of it is significant.

Jimmy: Real life questions for real life problems, I was there a couple of years ago in school. Everything becomes a textbook but when you go out and you step out of the real world you’ve got to ask start asking some real questions things that did not go up on a test and it’s great to have that real live person available to you to give you a real person answer.

Nate: Yeah absolutely absolutely. I mean you know you always have materials from school to reference. Furthermore you know very clinical questions I guess if your going to look up with a specific diagnosis but how to actually deal with the person and how to treat them and we know what treatment approaches to maybe try first. All those kinds of problems that you might run into you know you’re kind of out there on your own. So to have the closeness of the team and also your mentors is just invaluable to me.

Jimmy: Something to look forward to when you’re when thinking about where you want to start your career. So that’s some great starting advice where you want to go to next?

Nate: The autonomy that you get. Make a schedule flexible. I think when you come in as a new grad maybe in some other settings you definitely treat it as a new grad. I feel like you know it’s good to keep a close eye on you but I really loved about FOX when I first started as I was just treated as a clinician just like everybody else. You know I was treated the same as someone who has maybe been here for five years and you know obviously with the mentor still there but just they respect that my opinions on things and gave me that autonomy to schedule my clients as I saw fit. So you know if you have a doctor’s appointment or something on a Tuesday afternoon you’re able to maybe book a little later on Monday and Wednesday to make up for those times or if you want to take a longer weekend take a half day on Friday. You go ahead and you know kind of front load your schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday and maybe take a light Thursday or Friday and it really is just great to have that independence. Kind of helps you to work on time management skills which is important as a clincian.

Jimmy: Yeah it’s big all around. I love that advice. It’s real good practical advice. You know for real life minute to minute stuff once you get out there and you start working with the clients that we get to. What do we have coming up next?

Nate: Because you are given that independence and you have that mentorship experience that also can set up you as a mentee to eventually be a mentor. I mean now I’m a regional mentor down here. You know one year and I think you know that valuable experience that I gained from the mentorship program allows me to now use that help someone who you know will start as a new grad eventually and guide them through the same process I went through. You know the best advice you can offer somebody is through an experience that you already had you know firsthand how it is to be able to give that advice is just great.

Jimmy: You’re paid for that experience. Whether it’s a tough day at the job or or something else you paid for it and free to be able to share that is pretty invaluable. I mean I know I’ve received tons of real advice from people that those types of stories stick with you and are most applicable.

Nate: Absolutely. Absolutely. You know it’s one thing say you understand. But if you’ve never actually been through it it’s kind of hard to understand.

Jimmy: So I totally agree. Last bit of advice what do you have for people mentorship. What have you been able to take away to grow clinically and professionally what you got for us Nate?

Nate: Clinically. I Mean just constant encouragement for continuing education. You hear about continuing education. Two different rotations I did as a student. You know people are gonna go you know I got to do my continuing and it’s kind of like almost an obligation. But you know they make it exciting here and they make you know want to do it and want to grow and so you know encourage me to take a bunch of continuing ed. I’m now LSVT certified and aiming for more trying to get my dementia practitioner certification and it just really makes you excited to grow clinically and professionally. If you are looking for professional growth I mean as a clinician I don’t think it gets any better than this practice. The rapid growth is just incredible. I mean I still can’t even believe all the opportunities that come out every week. Amazing to see. So you’re looking for somewhere you want to grow clinically and professionally. I would say that I mean this is the ideal practice to do it with.

Jimmy: Nate appreciate the advice. Last part of the show that we do is called your FOXtale. Why did you start working with older adults?

Really it was during my experience before I went to school. I worked as a rehab trainer in a hospital. I worked as part of a neuro day program and basically it was mostly with stroke victims and spinal cord injuries. For the majority of the clients they were geriatric and just connecting with them hearing all the stories and the share and everything that they had been through is just unreal to hear some of their life perspectives on things. And you know obviously it’s you know sounds cliche but you’re teaching them a lot about themselves and how to stay healthy. But I really feel like you also learned a lot from them. I mean they have lived their lives and experienced families and everything. Advice that you get from them you know I just I just loved and I connected with them instantly knew that that was the client population that I wanted to help.

Nate: Great advice from our colleague Nate Brostrom from Charleston telling you how you can use a mentorship to grow clinically and professionally. I know you’re a busy man. Appreciate your time. Thanks for jumping on the show with us today.

Nate: Thanks a lot Jimmy I appreciate it.

Thanks for listening to FOXcast OT. A clinically excellent podcast. It’s Brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Fox clinicians work hard. Love their work and get the respect they deserve. Sound good? Then you’ll love the autonomy to work in your own style and the support you get to achieve excellence. Plus freedom and flexibility to have a personal life whether it’s your first day or you’ve been around for a while. Your contribution is acknowledged and rewarded. That’s what makes FOX a success. Happy well-trained clinicians make great health care. Are you a fit for Fox? Find out now at foxrehab.org.