This exploratory study focused on the needs and attributes that female doctoral students, during their academic and professional careers, seek in mentoring relationships with female faculty. Two domains-personal and professional-were identified as essential components in the developmental mentoring relationship. As a result, the Rheineck Mentoring Model was created.
Adult career development remains a multifaceted endeavor, often beginning with the advanced educational process. Returning to graduate school for an advanced degree can represent a time for both personal and professional transition. Mentoring can be an essential component in assisting the development of a professional identity and is often considered the "heart of a graduate education" (Kelly & Schweitzer, 1999, p. 130). Mentoring has been viewed as a kind of framework providing structure, definition, and direction on how to negotiate career development for any profession. Cronan-Hillix, Gensheimer, Cronan-Hillix, and Davidson (1986) postulated that academic mentors improve student performance and research productivity, and Tenenbaum, Crosby, and Gliner (2001) reported that psychosocial support from mentors increases students' overall satisfaction with their graduate school experiences.
Doctoral students begin the learning process of how to navigate the world of academia through academic experience and eventually understand that it is a personal journey. The path from beginning doctoral student to professional colleague has been confusing for some. That path, when clarified and supported through positive mentorship, has allowed doctoral students to gain positive, confident levels of self-efficacy.
The personal development of doctoral students can be enhanced by the mentoring relationship, especially if it begins early. Not all doctoral students have received positive and heartfelt mentoring. The first author observed many peers experiencing anxiety and stress related to their professional development