Mentorship in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery: A Scoping Review

Mentorship is increasingly recognized as a critical part of training across the spectrum of trainees. While explored more in-depth in the literature of other medical specialties, mentorship remains a nascent topic in the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) literature.

The objective of this study was to assess the current literature on mentorship in OHNS.

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines was used and the methodology was registered on Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/X5FQ7). The Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched. Two authors independently selected studies, with the senior author resolving discrepancies. Study quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence.

English language studies employing any methodology that involved mentorship of medical trainees and staff in OHNS were included from the inception of the database up to September 20, 2023.

Any form of mentorship.

The primary outcome was the benefits of mentorship afforded to the mentee.

From 415 unique articles identified, 45 studies were included. The median publication year was 2020 (IQR 6.5, range 1999-2023). The major themes of benefits from mentorship include improving residency uptake (n = 22), clinical competency and professionalism (n = 20), diversity and equity (n = 19), research productivity (n = 17), career planning and advancement (n = 17), and quality of life (n = 11). Other common themes included active mentorship (n = 29), near-peer mentorship (n = 13), and utilizing digital tools for mentorship (n = 6).

Mentorship in OHNS has seen a sharp increase in publications in recent years. There are numerous benefits to mentorship including improving residency uptake, diversity initiatives, clinical competency and professionalism, research productivity, career planning and advancement, as well as quality of life.