Mentoring for a change: from Homer to health care

This article explores the applications for mentoring in health care administration that are appropriate for both physician and nonphysician administrators. While clinical mentoring has a long history in most health care settings, mentoring is underused as a way to develop individual administrators and help organizations cope with change. The article describes both formal and informal approaches to mentoring, as well as the benefits for mentor, mentee and medical organization. It establishes guidelines for successful programs and examines variables related to success.