'Having a mentor helped me with difficult times': a trainee-run mentoring project

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry Training and Education
• Medical Mentorship Programs
• Professional Development in Healthcare

Background:

• A peer mentoring program was initiated by psychiatry trainees in South Australia in 2014.
• The primary objective was to mitigate stress and burnout among first-year psychiatry trainees.
• All incoming first-year trainees were offered the opportunity to be paired with a senior trainee mentor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the structure and implementation of the psychiatry trainee mentoring program.
• To present and analyze participant feedback from both mentors and mentees.
• To identify key challenges and areas for improvement within the mentoring initiative.

Main Methods:

• The study involved first-year psychiatry trainees in South Australia from 2014 to 2018, with 72 out of 76 trainees allocated a mentor.
• Surveys were administered in 2014, 2015, and 2017 to gather feedback.
• A total of 20 mentors (48%) and 17 mentees (40%) completed a 10-item questionnaire, including free-text responses.

Main Results:

• Mentee feedback was predominantly positive, highlighting the value of reassurance and support provided by mentors.
• Common areas where mentees sought advice included training navigation, work-life balance, and supervision issues.
• The primary obstacle reported was the lack of time available for mentors and mentees to meet; mentors desired more specific training.

Conclusions:

• The trainee-led mentoring program proved to be a beneficial initiative for psychiatry trainees.
• The findings suggest a need for structured mentor training, potentially integrated into formal psychiatric education.
• Formalizing mentor training is recommended as part of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists curriculum.