Surgery Mentorship for Medical Students: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Mentorship Programs

Background:

• Mentorship is vital for medical students' career decisions and professional networking.
• Surgical mentorship programs can aid students in navigating specialized career paths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a surgical mentorship program for medical students.
• To assess the impact of mentorship on professional connections and career development in surgery.

Main Methods:

• A semi-structured mentorship program paired medical students with faculty surgeons.
• Participants completed pre- and post-program surveys and some participated in interviews.
• Program involved one-on-one meetings and structured group sessions.

Main Results:

• The program successfully fostered professional connections, with most participants reporting effective communication.
• Mentors and mentees identified strong communication as a key factor for success.
• Mentees and mentors provided feedback on communication and initiative, highlighting areas for improvement.

Conclusions:

• Semi-structured surgical mentorship programs can establish valuable professional networks for aspiring surgeons.
• Ensuring effective communication and commitment from all participants is essential for program efficacy.
• The program demonstrated potential for enhancing surgical trainees' professional development.