What we ask of every mentor

Who this applies to

This code applies to every mentor and mentor applicant, everywhere on BridgeDDS: your profile, requests, messages, meetings, notes, group sessions, assignments, assessments and anything you share. It works alongside the Community Guidelines and the Terms of Use, which apply to everyone.

Respectful communication

• Be kind, candid and professional. Critique the work, never the person.
• Reply to requests and messages within about a week. A short “I need a few more days” or a kind decline is always better than silence.
• Respect a mentee's decisions about their own education and applications, even when you'd choose differently.

Professional mentorship boundaries

• A mentorship is a professional relationship. Keep it on BridgeDDS — scheduled meetings, workspace chat and shared notes — so there's a record both of you can see.
• No romantic or sexual advances, comments or relationships with mentees.
• Don't pressure a mentee for personal contact details, social media or meetings outside the platform. If you meet in person, choose a public or professional setting.
• Be mindful of the influence you have. Never make help conditional on anything other than the mentee's own effort.

No harassment

Harassment of any kind isn't tolerated: sexual harassment, threats, intimidation, bullying, repeated unwanted contact, or sharing someone's private information without their permission.

No discrimination

Treat every student fairly, whatever their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, immigration status or school. Decline a request for reasons of fit or capacity only.

No inappropriate solicitation

• Mentoring on BridgeDDS is unpaid. Don't sell or promote paid services — consulting, tutoring, editing, courses — to mentees or other members.
• No requests for money, gifts or favors, no fundraising, and no recruiting for businesses or programs you benefit from.
• Never use what mentees share with you for marketing or any purpose outside the mentorship.

Patient privacy

Never share patient-identifying information on BridgeDDS — names, photos, radiographs, charts, dates of service, or case details that could identify someone. This applies to messages, notes, files, sessions and examples you use when teaching. Describe what you learned, not who you treated. If you see patient information anywhere on BridgeDDS, report it right away.

Honesty, credentials and impersonation

• Represent your training, school, position and experience accurately, and keep your profile up to date.
• Don't impersonate anyone, claim credentials you don't hold, or claim the Verified badge — only BridgeDDS Owners grant it.
• Share guidance, not guarantees. Don't promise admission or suggest you can influence an admissions decision.
• Mentees author their own application materials. Give feedback; never write personal statements, essays or other materials for them.

Appropriate use of messages, files and notes

• Use messages and meetings for the mentorship. Keep them professional — assume they could be reviewed if someone reports a concern.
• Only share files and links you have the right to share. No malware, no pirated or confidential exam material, no one else's work without credit.
• Keep what mentees share with you — drafts, scores, worries — confidential to the mentorship. Don't pass their work to anyone else without their permission.
• Private mentor notes are for your own planning. Mentees never see them, but keep them factual and professional.

Capacity and commitment

• Only accept as many mentees as you can genuinely support. Adjust your capacity or pause new requests when life gets busy — your existing mentees stay with you.
• Give notice when a meeting needs to move, and follow through on what you agree to.
• If you need to step back, tell your mentees and end or complete the mentorship in BridgeDDS so they aren't left waiting.

Safety and reporting

• If a mentee tells you they're in crisis or at risk of harm, encourage them to contact emergency services right away (911 in the U.S.) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the U.S.). You aren't expected to act as a counselor.
• Use Report on any profile, message, resource or session that breaks this code or the guidelines, or send a safety concern from Help & Support. Reporters aren't identified to the person reported.
• Report anything that worries you about a mentee's safety, or about another mentor's conduct, even if you're unsure.

Enforcement

BridgeDDS Owners review reports and may remove content, warn you, remove the Verified badge, end a mentorship, pause or withdraw your mentor approval, or remove your account, depending on severity. Every moderation action is recorded in our audit log. Serious concerns may be shared with the appropriate authorities where the law requires it.