# 4. Is it appropriate for a lab director to advocate for a graduate student who is in a difficult academic situation? If so, what form should that advocacy take?

A particularly important mentoring role is that of advocate. Silen1 used the term "protector," but, whatever phrase one uses, there are times when the mentor has to step forward and defend or advocate for the trainee. A specific academic example might be the situation in which a mentorās doctoral student is in the midst of his or her comprehensive examinations and has been instructed to rewrite an essay multiple times for a particular question. A member of the review panel for the exam has a reputation for demanding perfection from students and keeps sending the essay back. After the mentor reviews it thoroughly and perhaps discusses it with others, it is clear that the studentās answer is well worth a pass or better. In that situation, it would not be inappropriate for the mentor to step in to move the process along. Other advocacy initiatives could stem from complaints from oneās trainee about harassment or unequal treatment by others.

Mentations, Harvard Medical School, on WISHnet website: William Silen, M.D., Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity