General Should I ask my mentor to lunch?

[tantacles]

I have been shadowing a private practice surgeon for almost 4 years now during my breaks from school, and he has become somewhat of a mentor to me. He always asks me how school is going, and gives me advice on various pre-med issues. Our conversations always take place during his breaks in-between patients when he is filling out paperwork. As it is, he tends to run a little late in his practice.

When I am there however, due to the conversations that take place during his paper work breaks his patients sometimes end up waiting for close to an hour or more. I feel very uncomfortable that my presence causes him to run so late. Would it be odd for me to ask him to lunch so that we can talk without infringing upon his patients' time?

It would be completely appropriate to ask if he would be willing to grab coffee, particularly if you have specific questions to ask and you want his undivided attention.

I would say something along the lines of, "Could we grab coffee outside of work at some point? I was hoping I could ask you questions about my application/my CV/ my life in medicine/whatever else, and I don't want to disrupt the workflow in the office." Most people will be receptive to this approach.

If your mentor isn't able to meet with you, it should not reflect poorly upon you.

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