“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.
—Steven Spielberg
Dr. Douglas Robinson, who has over 35 years experience in the medical field is a board-certified podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine and foot surgery in Campbell. He invited me to an early birthday lunch yesterrday at OPA’s Authentic Greek Cuisine in downtown Campbell. My official birthday is Sunday, August 26. He arrived in his signature red surgical Scrubs with his name emblazoned in the right top corner of his shirt, as well as his specialty, and an aspirational slogan: "Limp in and Dance out!"
Doug was in college when a family member recommended he visit me at the Park Avenue Foot Clinic in San Jose that I founded in 1975. He was at a crossroads of deciding on a career. He was going to either be a endodonist or prostadonist. He spent time observing me treat patients whenever he was in town on school break. I was used to having doctors visit my clinic from all around the country. But, this was the first time I had a really motivated student shadow me from treatment room to treatment room, who wasn’t an associate. At some point he made a life changing decision to become a podiatrist and attended and graduated from the California College of Podiatric Medicine. When I retired in the early 90s, I assigned him my clinic phone number, sold off some equipment to him that he intended to utilize in a freestanding building he bought and converted Foot and Ankle center on E Hamilton. As the years went by he became a successful practitioner in his own right. I was very happy and proud of him, and over the years—since I retired—I referred quite a few patients to him.
Looking back in time it was apparent that we had developed a mentor/protege relationship. A protege is focused, teachable and flexible. A mentor provides a culture of appreciation, is protege focused, willing to pass on whatever a protege can absorb. I myself, had several mentors that were influential in my deciding to attend the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, and podiatrists who allowed me to visit their offices, learn surgical techniques and how to operate and manage a practice. I was merely passing it forward. What I love about Doug is that he has expressed his life long gratitude to me for mentoring him with open arms, and has shown it in a number of gratifying ways over the years.
