Tailored Mentorship for the Underrepresented & Allies in Radiation Oncology: The ARRO Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee Mentorship Experience

Abstract

Background There are limited opportunities for mentorship for Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) trainees and physicians in radiation oncology (RO). The purpose of this study was to create a formal mentorship program open to URMs and allies with interests in equity and inclusion as well as track metrics for evaluating program impact and identifying areas for improvement. Methods A mentorship program incorporating a virtual platform was designed by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee. It was structured to include 6 sessions over 6 months with matched mentor/mentee pairs based on responses to a publicized online interest form. A compilation of evidence-based guidelines was provided as a reference for optimizing the mentorship relationship. Linked pre- and post-program surveys were administered to collect demographic data, define baseline goals and level of support, and evaluate program satisfaction. Results 35 mentor-mentee pairs were matched; 31 mentees completed the pre-program survey and 17 completed the post-program survey. Pre-program, 15 (48%) mentees reported lack of current mentorship/professional development support, 3 (9.7%) reported satisfaction with current mentorship, and 5 (16%) reported specific URM mentorship. Areas that were identified in the pre-program survey as important to mentees were addressed with high reported satisfaction based on the post-program survey. Mentees also reported high satisfaction with mentor attributes and high overall satisfaction. Opportunities for improvement include additional support for maintaining longitudinal relationships and reducing attrition rates with an adaptive approach of re-matching pairs when appropriate. Discussion Our results demonstrate that there is self-reported interest for better mentorship for URMs in RO, and that it is feasible to develop a nationwide structured mentorship program that addresses participants' goals with high satisfaction. Program expansion could provide URMs and allies in RO more opportunities for career development and promote a greater sense of community and inclusion. There are limited opportunities for mentorship for Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) trainees and physicians in radiation oncology (RO). The purpose of this study was to create a formal mentorship program open to URMs and allies with interests in equity and inclusion as well as track metrics for evaluating program impact and identifying areas for improvement. A mentorship program incorporating a virtual platform was designed by the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee. It was structured to include 6 sessions over 6 months with matched mentor/mentee pairs based on responses to a publicized online interest form. A compilation of evidence-based guidelines was provided as a reference for optimizing the mentorship relationship. Linked pre- and post-program surveys were administered to collect demographic data, define baseline goals and level of support, and evaluate program satisfaction. 35 mentor-mentee pairs were matched; 31 mentees completed the pre-program survey and 17 completed the post-program survey. Pre-program, 15 (48%) mentees reported lack of current mentorship/professional development support, 3 (9.7%) reported satisfaction with current mentorship, and 5 (16%) reported specific URM mentorship. Areas that were identified in the pre-program survey as important to mentees were addressed with high reported satisfaction based on the post-program survey. Mentees also reported high satisfaction with mentor attributes and high overall satisfaction. Opportunities for improvement include additional support for maintaining longitudinal relationships and reducing attrition rates with an adaptive approach of re-matching pairs when appropriate. Our results demonstrate that there is self-reported interest for better mentorship for URMs in RO, and that it is feasible to develop a nationwide structured mentorship program that addresses participants' goals with high satisfaction. Program expansion could provide URMs and allies in RO more opportunities for career development and promote a greater sense of community and inclusion.