Mentorship of Surgical Interns: Are We Failing to Meet Their Needs?

This study aimed to determine the challenges faced by surgical trainees during their internship and to explore their experience with mentoring.

An internet-based survey comprised of 30 questions was distributed to 59 surgical interns to evaluate their internship experience at the conclusion of the academic year 2018 to 2019.

Four academic medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts.

Both preliminary as well as categorical general surgery interns were included in the study. Twenty-five responses were received (response rate of 42.4%).

The majority of surgical interns (80%) reported having a mentor during their intern year. Gender as well as mentor career status/prestige were both the highest rated factors in selection of a mentor, (4.67/5 and 4.33/5 respectively). Mentoring topics varied by the career status of the mentor, with most surgical interns (80%) selecting senior faculty members for mentoring on career planning, clinical training, and research. Surgical interns relied only on junior faculty members to discuss work-life integration. Very few surveyed interns (only 1 in 10) discussed work-life integration with their mentors despite this being reported as the most significant challenge of their internship year. Only 15% of the interns reported that the effectiveness of the mentor-mentee relationship was reviewed by program administration. About one third (30%) of interns reported that they would not feel comfortable reporting a failed mentorship to their program director. Furthermore, 40% of the surgical interns were not given an option to choose a new mentor in case of failed mentoring.

Surgical interns report high work demands and challenges with worklife integration in their first year of surgical training, however only a small minority of interns discuss this with their mentors. Surgical residency programs should better supervise and adjust mentoring of surgical interns in order to maximize their performance and wellness.