Women's Microsurgery Group Mentorship Program: Are We Fostering Connection and Meeting Mentees Needs?

Area of Science:

• Microsurgery
• Surgical Education
• Gender Equity in Medicine

Background:

• Access to female mentorship in microsurgery is limited.
• The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery Women's Microsurgery Group (WMG) established a mentorship program in 2014 to address this gap.
• Recent data on participant demographics and mentee priorities are needed to evaluate program effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate recent participant demographics within the WMG mentorship program.
• To assess mentee priorities and compare them with mentor backgrounds.
• To identify areas for program improvement and expansion.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the 2023-2025 WMG mentorship cohorts.
• Assessment of mentee and mentor demographics, mentor practice patterns, and mentee priorities.
• Application of standard statistical methods to analyze participant data.

Main Results:

• The 2023-2025 cohort included 51 mentors and 55 mentees, primarily medical students and junior attendings.
• Many mentees (12.5% to 39.6%) came from institutions lacking female plastic surgery faculty or microsurgeons.
• Significant discordance was found between mentee priorities (career advancement, transition to practice) and mentor backgrounds (academic, reconstructive practices).

Conclusions:

• The WMG program successfully connects mentees with limited access to female mentors.
• The program serves a significant number of "orphan applicant" medical students, highlighting the need for broader initiatives.
• Expanding mentor recruitment is crucial to align with the evolving interests and goals of mentees and reduce mentor fatigue.