Abstract
OBJECTIVEMentorship facilitates successful matching for surgical specialties. A formal mentorship plan may counteract restricted mentorship opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.DESIGNWe surveyed medical students applying to surgery specialties who participated in our formalized mentorship program (MF) and those of a prior cohort who were informally mentored (MI). Epistemic Network Analysis was used to model qualitative responses.SETTINGUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.PARTICIPANTSFourth-year medical students who matched into ACGME-accredited surgical specialties.RESULTSMF students (n = 12) met with their mentors more frequently than MI students (n = 13; p = 0.03). Both groups received career guidance, letters of recommendation and application preparation. However, the MI cohort reported greater psychological and emotional support whereas the MF cohort reported more assistance with skills development.CONCLUSIONSA formalized mentorship program fostered successful mentoring relationships despite limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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