Title: Rainy Days for a Struggling Mentee

Author: Matthew Wroblewski and Tristan McIntosh

Description: A postdoctoral researcher finds herself struggling to meet the unrealistic expectations of her mentor.

Keyword(s): Mentor-Trainee Relationship

Based On: https://ori.hhs.gov/case-two-bullied-or-mentored

Case: A postdoctoral researcher, Rain, finds herself struggling to meet the expectations of her mentor, professor Grayson. Professor Grayson has extraordinarily high expectations of his trainees and has a history of apathetically demanding that his trainees maintain nearly unrealistic scholarly productivity. While professor Grayson has a wealth of knowledge about his particular area of expertise and is able to advise trainees thoroughly on all matters of research, his guidance and feedback to trainees is often abrasive. While Rain used to feel extremely confident in her own ability to expand her skills to reach new academic goals, she now questions her every decision in the lab and is wondering if a career in academia is even for her. Rain is wondering what she can do to get out of this professional dilemma.

  1. What would you do if you were Rain?
  2. What actions could Rain take to make the best of her mentoring relationship with professor Grayson?
  3. What are the responsibilities of both mentors and trainees in a mentoring relationship?
  4. What could professor Grayson do differently in his approach to mentorship?