Mentoring among Pakistani postgraduate resident doctors

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professional Development
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Mentorship is vital for career success, job quality, and productivity in academic institutions.
• Low- and middle-income countries face significant challenges with inadequate or absent mentorship programs.
• Effective mentorship is often hindered by institutional barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of mentorship at King Edward Medical University.
• To identify factors contributing to mentor and mentee satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
• To inform strategies for improving mentorship in medical education.

Main Methods:

• An institution-based cross-sectional study utilizing web-based questionnaires for mentors and mentees.
• Data analysis performed using R statistical package (V.2.15.1).
• Fisher's exact test used to assess associations between satisfaction and factors like defined goals and mentoring hours (p<0.05 significant).

Main Results:

• Fifty-two mentees and nine mentors completed the study.
• Increased face time, clear goal agreements, and mentor advice on career advancement correlated with higher mentee satisfaction (p<0.001, p=0.006).
• Mentees reported issues with protected time, communication, and mentors' understanding of their needs; most mentors favored mandatory certification.

Conclusions:

• King Edward Medical University exhibits a deficit in effective mentorship opportunities.
• There is a need for comprehensive training for both mentors and mentees.
• Implementing structured training can enhance career outcomes for young doctors.