Formal mentorship in a surgical residency training program: a prospective interventional study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Resident Well-being

Background:

• Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery residents (OHNSR) experience high rates of burnout, stress, and job dissatisfaction.
• Formal mentorship programs (FMP) are known to enhance professional development and academic success.
• FMP positively impact residents, improving job satisfaction and overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the effects of a formal mentorship program on the well-being of OHNSR.
• To assess the impact of FMP on stress, burnout, and quality of life in surgical residents.

Main Methods:

• A formal mentorship program was implemented with voluntary participation from eight OHNSR.
• Validated surveys including the Perceived Stress Survey (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and WHO Quality of Life-Bref (WH-QOL) were administered.
• Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-month intervals for PSS and MBI, and at baseline and 12 months for WH-QOL.

Main Results:

• Baseline assessments revealed significant stress (PSS: 18.5) and burnout (MBI: emotional 47.6, depersonalization 50.6, personal achievement 16.5), with low quality of life (WH-QOL: 71.9).
• Following FMP implementation, PSS scores decreased significantly to 7.9 at 12 months (p=0.001).
• MBI scores showed significant improvement at 12 months (emotional: 14.9, depersonalization: 20.1, personal achievement: 42.5; all p<0.0001), and WH-QOL scores improved significantly to 37.5 (p=0.003).

Conclusions:

• Formal mentorship programs can effectively alleviate high levels of stress and burnout in surgical residency programs.
• FMP contribute to higher levels of personal satisfaction and improved overall quality of life for residents.
• This study provides the first evidence of FMP's positive impact on the well-being of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery residents.