Pragmatic Mentoring Strategies for the Busy Surgeon Scientist

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Surgical Research
• Mentorship

Background:

• Research mentorship is vital in academic medicine, yet practical guidance is scarce.
• Surgeon scientists face unique challenges in mentorship due to time constraints and lack of training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore strategies used by award-winning faculty mentors in research collaborations with medical students.
• To address the gap in practical advice for effective research mentorship.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 9 physician mentors who received a mentorship award.
• Thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify common mentoring strategies and practices.

Main Results:

• Identified 12 distinct strategies and practices employed by mentors.
• Strategies fall into 5 categories: initiating partnerships, defining research focus, project oversight, developing mentee competence, and supporting self-efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Award-winning mentors utilize shared strategies for mentoring medical trainees in research.
• These strategies can guide academic surgeons in enhancing their research mentoring skills.