Finding and keeping a mentor: a year of reflection.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Professional Development
• Mentorship Programs

Background:

• This reflection details the experience of a mentee in the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Associate Membership Mentoring Scholarship program.
• The essay, presented at the 2024 AAST Annual Meeting, outlines the two critical stages of mentorship: identification and sustained engagement.

Discussion:

• Finding a mentor can be achieved through formal programs or organic relationship development, emphasizing the need for mutual connection and time.
• Sustaining a mentorship relationship requires ongoing effort and intentionality beyond formal program structures.
• The dynamic nature of mentorship necessitates continuous evolution and adaptation.

Key Insights:

• Mentorship is a fluid, evolving relationship without a fixed timeline or predetermined direction.
• The process of finding and keeping a mentor is crucial for professional growth in surgery.
• The impact of mentorship, while difficult to quantify, is profoundly beneficial for mentees.

Outlook:

• Continued emphasis on fostering intentional and evolving mentorship relationships within surgical associations.
• Encouraging formal and informal mentorship opportunities to support early-career surgeons.
• Recognizing and promoting the long-term value of sustained mentor-mentee connections in surgical careers.