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How medical students define surgical mentors
Amalia Cochran1, Judy L Paukert, Erin M Scales
1Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and Department of Surgery, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, 30 N. 1900 East, Room 3C410, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA.
American Journal of Surgery
|June 12, 2004
Summary
Medical students desire different qualities in attending and resident surgeon mentors. Focusing on these specific traits can enhance surgical mentorship and career interest.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Mentorship
Background:
- The ideal qualities of surgical mentors are not well-defined in current literature.
- This study aimed to identify desired mentoring characteristics from the perspective of medical students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the specific mentoring qualities medical students seek in both attending and resident surgeons.
- To understand the differences in student expectations for different levels of surgical mentors.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to third-year medical students during their surgical clerkship.
- Students identified their best attending and resident surgeon mentors and provided qualitative explanations.
- Content analysis was used to systematically evaluate student comments.
Main Results:
- A high survey response rate of 94.8% was achieved.
- Attending surgeon mentors were most frequently characterized by their "teacher" role.
- Resident surgeon mentors were most often described by their "person" role, with differing priorities for characteristics within roles.
Conclusions:
- Medical students have distinct expectations for attending versus resident surgeon mentors.
- Tailoring mentoring behaviors to align with identified student priorities can improve the effectiveness of surgical mentorship.
- Enhanced mentorship may foster greater interest in surgical careers among medical students.