Status of surgery mentorship programs in the US

Editor's Note

Only half of departments of surgery in the US have established mentorship programs, and most are informal, unstructured, and do not involve all of the key stakeholders, this study finds.

Of 155 chairs of departments of surgery surveyed 76 responded, for a 49% response rate.

A total of 41 (54%) said they had an established mentorship program, while 35 (46%) said that although mentoring occurred in their department, it was nonstructured. In most departments, faculty mentoring efforts were not recognized formally by either the department or the institution.

Because of the importance of mentorship in career satisfaction and retention, development of formal mentorship programs should be considered for all academic departments of surgery, the authors say.

Question What is the status of mentorship programs in departments of surgery in the United States? Findings Results of a survey sent to 155 chairs of departments of surgery with a 49% response rate showed that only half of departments of surgery in the United States have established mentorship programs, and most are informal, unstructured, and do not involve all of the key stakeholders.