Dinner at Orazio’s—David Triggle the model of a mentor

What does it mean to be a mentor in science? Definitions of mentorship are freely spouted in publications and include concepts such as academic support, professional development, role modeling, interaction, impartment of knowledge, evaluation of work, demonstration of methodology, etc. Perhaps most of us would agree with the duties listed. But just what does it mean, for example, to offer academic support? How might one facilitate professional development for a mentee? While we may agree to the general obligations of a mentor the specifics of what these entail would prove more controversial.This article will illustrate how easy it is to pick out a bad mentor. There are certain elements of conduct that, if practiced, undoubtedly put you in the “bad mentor” category. However, it is very difficult to explain just what it means to be not only an adequate mentor but also a stellar one. It may be easy to list the roles and responsibilities of a mentor but just how should they be performed/carried out? David Triggle is the model of an extraordinary mentor. The conclusion of this paper will focus on some specific mentorship activities David Triggle carried out that illustrate some of the intangible aspects of excellence in mentorship.