Evaluating an Advisor Program for Psychiatry Residents

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry Training
• Mentorship Programs

Background:

• Formal residency advisory programs aim to support psychiatry residents' academic and personal development.
• Identifying additional mentors is a key objective of these advisory programs.
• Continuous evaluation and improvement are essential for program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and enhance resident and faculty satisfaction with the formal psychiatry residency advisory program.
• To assess the impact of specific interventions on program satisfaction and mentorship facilitation.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey assessed baseline resident satisfaction with the advisory program.
• Interventions included adding a resident liaison, recognizing faculty advisors, and sending meeting reminders.
• A follow-up survey measured satisfaction and mentorship after implementing changes.

Main Results:

• Overall satisfaction significantly improved, with a 58% increase in residents meeting advisors.
• Residents were more likely to use advisors for career mentor facilitation (72% vs 28%).
• First-year residents, particularly women, reported a lack of mentors outside the formal program.

Conclusions:

• Continuous quality improvement and enhanced program structure, including a senior resident role, boost satisfaction.
• Residency advisory programs effectively facilitate connections with external mentors.
• These programs are particularly valuable for women in early training stages to build mentorship networks.