Background: Mentorship is a key component in preventing burnout and attrition in surgical training, yet many residencies lack a formal program, one method used to establish successful mentor relationships. We aimed to measure the difference in resident perceptions and experience after the implementation of a mentorship program.
Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to all general surgery residents at a single academic institution before and after implementation of a year-long mentorship program that involved assigned mentors, two social events, and recommended mentorship meetings. Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale.
Results: Half of respondents (n = 17, 53%) attended at least one event, and 66% (n = 21) had at least one mentor meeting. The proportion of residents who identified a faculty mentor increased from 59% to 75%. Residents with two or more mentor meetings (n = 12, 38%) were more likely to report faculty were interested in mentoring and cared about their development (3.5 versus 4.6, 3.6 versus 4.6, P < 0.001). They were more likely to identify faculty approachable for resident performance (3.8 versus 4.6, P < 0.02) and outside of work concerns (3.2 versus 4.3, P < 0.01) and were more likely to be satisfied with the amount of mentorship received (2.8 versus 4.0 P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Implementation of a formal mentorship program resulted in an improvement in resident perception of faculty involvement and support. Meeting with a mentor resulted in a significant improvement in resident perception. Implementation of a mentorship program can improve resident experience, and few interactions are needed to affect the change.
Keywords: Mentorship; Surgery residency; Surgical education; Wellness.
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