Application of mentorship program for another aspect of surgical residency training: The importance of academia in surgical training.

Abstract

Traditionally, surgical residency training is more focused on obtaining surgical skills through a well-established coaching system worldwide. However, constant advances in medical science require surgeons to learn not only surgical skills but also the ability of scientific research to improve clinical practice and future professional development. The study aims to emphasize that professional education in terms of scientific research is also significant for surgical residency training.All residents who had been recruited in a medical center for the surgery residency program between years 2006 and 2015 were evaluated in the study. Generally, every resident is assigned to a mentor since the first year of residency. Then, the mentor would help the resident qualify a 2-step evaluation in terms of scientific research during the residency training program.A total of 193 residents were evaluated in the study. All of them had completed the first step regarding oral presentation of their designated research, and the majority of residents obtained 80 to 90 points that were rated by referees. Overall, 102 residents (52.8%) had completed the second step with the publication of a research manuscript. The percentage of residents who had fulfilled the criteria of this 2-step assessment ranged from 35.3% to 81.8% by year.The continuing education for surgical residents should not be limited in coaching clinical practice. Scientific research is also essential for current surgical residency training, and a formal mentorship program may be beneficial for the future professional development of surgical residents. However, the success of the 2-step evaluation could possibly depend on the career choices of the residents instead of the mentorship program.