All that you can't leave behind: Professionalism as the focus of mentoring and modeling

Mentoring serves a critical and necessary role not only in the advancement of plastic surgery, but also in maintaining the health of our specialty. In addition to providing a driving force for innovation-which remains the core competency of plastic surgery-mentoring is a powerful, educational tool that helps us teach the critical skills of communication and model the tenets of professionalism. Our identity as innovators, healers, and providers of hope is dependent on conferring what it means to be a professional, from those who are just beginning their journey as surgeons, to those who are still on that odyssey.