Much has been written about mentoring, but the question of how to be a good mentee is, by comparison, neglected. This has created an unfortunate asymmetry, since effective mentorship cannot exist without menteeship. Given the importance of the topic and lack of guidance, we sought to identify the golden rules that constitute best practice for mentees.

We approached this task in three ways. First, we reflected on our own experiences as both mentees and mentors. Next, we contacted 11 MD or PhD mentors from different institutions in the US and asked for three suggestions on how mentees might derive most benefit from them. Finally, we synthesised the reflections and suggestions to identify four key recommendations for best practice.