Personal perception on mentoring.

The current authors discuss mentoring as an important volunteer activity. The roles and responsibilities of the mentor and the protégé are described. The mentor's role consists of teaching, coaching, supporting, counseling, and sharing information with the protégé. The protégé responsibilities are to understand the value of the mentor and seek his or her advice. The importance of mentoring underrepresented minorities, potential and present medical students in orthopaedic surgery is specifically described. The personal experience of one author is given as an example of what can be accomplished and why the current authors think mentoring is important.