Formal Mentoring Research Articles

Resident Depression and Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey of Canadian Laboratory Medicine Trainees.

Resident physicians face a higher rate of burnout and depression than the general population. Few studies have examined burnout and depression in Canadian laboratory medicine residents, and none during the COVID-19 pandemic. To identify the prevalence of burnout and depression, contributing factors, and the impact of COVID-19 in this population. An electronic survey was distributed to Canadian laboratory medicine residents. Burnout was assessed using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9. Seventy-nine responses were collected. The prevalence of burnout was 63% (50 of 79). The prevalence of depression was 47% (37 of 79). Modifiable factors significantly associated with burnout included career dissatisfaction, below average academic performance, lack of time off for illness, stress related to finances, lack of a peer or staff physician mentor, and a high level of fatigue. Modifiable factors significantly associated with depression further included a lack of access to wellness resources, lack of time off for leisure, and fewer hours of sleep. Fifty-five percent (41 of 74) of participants reported direct impacts to their personal circumstances by the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout and depression are significant issues affecting Canadian laboratory medicine residents. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we recommend the institution of flexible work arrangements, protected time off for illness and leisure, ongoing evaluation of career satisfaction, formal and informal wellness programming with trainee input, formal mentorship programming, and a financial literacy curriculum as measures to improve trainee wellness.

Outcomes of a Five-Year Formal Ophthalmology Residency Mentorship Program.

This article describes a formal ophthalmology residency mentorship program, identifies its strengths and weaknesses over 5 years of implementation, and proposes strategies to improve qualitative outcomes of the mentorship program. Cross-sectional anonymous online survey. All current and former mentees and mentors at the Casey Eye Institute (CEI) residency program from 2016 to 2021. All eligible participants were contacted via email to complete a survey to describe and analyze their experiences with the CEI's formal residency mentorship program. Of the 65 surveyed participants, 82% preferred in-person meetings and met up from 2 to 3 times (44%) to 4 to 6 times (38.5%) annually at 15 minutes to 1 hour (48%) or 1 to 2 hours (42%) duration. Sixty-two percent of meetings were initiated by mentors, 8% by mentees, and 32% shared responsibilities equally. Participants also identified the three most important qualities for successful mentor-mentee relationship as personality (33.6%), communication styles (29.2%), and extracurricular interests/hobbies (16.8%). Mentees valued career advising, networking, and wellness support over academic and research mentorship. Subjective outcomes showed 25% of the mentee and 43% of the mentors agreed the mentorship program was a valuable experience. Comparably, 14% of the mentees and 38% of the mentors prioritized the relationship. There was a strong correlation between participants who prioritized the relationship and acknowledged it as a valuable experience (p < 0.01). Eighteen percent of the mentees and 43% of the mentors found the relationship effective and met their expectations. Twenty-one percent of the mentees and 38% of the mentors believed they had the tools and skills necessary to be effective in their respective roles. Our survey identified that weaknesses of the mentorship program include ineffective communications, inadequate preparation in their respective roles, and lack of priority focus on the relationship. We propose strategies to strengthen our program through creating workshops to clarify roles and responsibilities, emphasizing accountability with a contract statement, and implementing a new matching algorithm to customize participants' experience. Additional studies from other residencies with formal mentorship programs are warranted to identify, strategize, and foster high-quality mentorship.

National survey of solid organ transplant pharmacist training and early career research publication success

AbstractIntroductionThe variability of clinical research experiences for solid organ transplant (SOT) trainees is complex and involves close inspection of program personnel, values, and expectations. It is unknown how these variables impact early career publication (ECP) success and continued participation in research.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of ECPs among SOT clinical pharmacists, to describe training and early career research experiences, and to describe factors associated with ECPs.MethodsA 53‐question electronic survey was distributed through three SOT pharmacy listservs from 11/1/202 to 12/3/2021. Eligible respondents were SOT pharmacists who completed specialty training from 2015 to 2021. The survey captured data on publication success, perception of training received, and early career research endeavors. Multivariate analysis assessed factors associated with ECP.ResultsA total of 92 individuals were included in the analysis (36.9% response rate). A majority of respondents were female (73.9%), completed postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) residency training only (93.5%), and currently serve in hybrid clinical specialist positions (having inpatient and outpatient roles) (67.4%). The incidence ECP among respondents was 42.3% (33/78). Within their jobs, research and/or quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) participation was common (83.3%, 65/78). Protected time for research (21.8%, 17/78) and formal research mentorship (7.7%, 6/78) were not frequent and did not alter ECP success. Multiple publications during training (odds ratio [OR] 13.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.90‐101.37, P = 0.01) was associated with ECP. SOT pharmacists with hybrid clinical specialist positions had lower ECP obtainment (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.004‐0.89, P = 0.04).ConclusionsThe incidence of ECP was 42.3%. Research and QAPI are common components of SOT training and SOT pharmacists' jobs, yet experiences are diverse with great variability for support and structure guiding these endeavors and influencing their eventual success.

Writing Support Group for Medical School Faculty—A Simple Way to Do It

Problem : Writing for publication is a core activity for many medical school faculty, but faculty report numerous challenges to publication. To help address these challenges, some medical schools establish writing support programs, but those programs are often resource-intensive, involving didactic courses, accountability groups, formal mentorships, and even assistance from professional writers. Not all medical schools, however, provide resources for such programs, and many faculty members, especially clinicians, lack time needed to participate. Furthermore, success of these programs is typically judged by the total number of papers published. However, many clinicians would judge success as publication of the occasional papers they decide to write, not the total number of papers they or the group publish. With these issues in mind, we established a low-resource writing program focused on individual acceptance rates rather than total publications. Intervention : Our writing program is an informal group that meets monthly. Members bring their ideas for papers and drafts of papers, and other members provide critique and suggestions for improvement. Members then revise their papers to address that critique prior to journal submission. There are no formal or assigned mentors, courses, lectures, or writing assistants. Context : The program takes place in our family medicine department, in which faculty have various roles. Some group members are clinician-educators seeking to publish occasional clinical reviews or research articles; others are PhDs seeking to publish on aspects of their work. Impact : During the six years of the program, 86% of papers reviewed by the group were accepted for publication and 94% of those were accepted by the journal to which they were first submitted. Publication success rate of individual members averaged 79%. This exceeds the 30–40% acceptance rate for scholarly journals worldwide. Group members published an average of 5.2 papers per member, with some publishing as few as 2–3 papers and others as many as 10–11. Lessons Learned : An informal, low-resource writing program in medical school departments can help faculty reach their publication goals. We found that members were satisfied by having the group help them publish whatever number of papers they decided to write. The program’s simple, informal approach fostered a culture of respectful and collegial interactions, in which members learned to depend on and accept critiques from colleagues. Finally, an unexpected benefit of our program resulted from membership of both clinicians and non-clinicians. This provided feedback from individuals with different perspectives, which enhanced development of manuscripts.

Age of the leftie: the lived experience of left-handed surgeons.

BackgroundLeft‐handers make up 10%–12% of all surgeons. Surgical education and practice by nature has significant technical demands but there is a paucity of data on left‐handers and training in surgery. The surgical curriculum has no specific salutation or recognition of left‐handers and the contributions and challenges they represent.MethodsThe purpose of the study was to explore, describe and understand the lived experience of left‐handed surgeons in relation to surgical education and training in Australia. Semi‐structured interviews were used to gather in‐depth information relating to the participants' experiences, viewpoints, beliefs and motivations.ResultsThe responses of the participants involved were categorized using the data analysis method described by Colaizzi. Seven themes were identified: left‐handed surgeons are universal adapters; left‐handed instruments are not necessary for left‐handed trainees; most left‐handed trainees have experienced discrimination or negativity due to their laterality; ambidexterity is considered an advantage; communicating one's laterality is important; a formal mentoring program is not necessary; and simulation can be a complementary tool for left‐ handed trainees. Being a left‐handed surgical trainee need not be a negative experience.ConclusionWith appropriate support and teaching, left‐handed trainees can develop into excellent surgeons. The themes from this study can be used by trainees, trainers and Colleges of surgical training to build awareness and optimize the training of future left‐handed surgeons.

Framework to Enhance STEM Education for Community College Students

Community colleges (CCs) play a critical role in advancing the education of all learners. Approximately 40% of first-time college freshman begin in Community Colleges. The proposed framework seeks to support and excite CC students to persist in their STEM education to increase the pipeline for the STEM workforce. Its vision is to provide CC students engineering skills and to excite them about engineering research. The framework enables students to spend 10 summer weeks at Northeastern University to increase skills, confidence, and learn firsthand about research. Each student will join a research lab, working with faculty and graduate student mentors. Also, students will be mentored after summer to further support their successful graduation and/or transfer to a 4-year institution and beyond. The site is guided by two of the grand challenges of the National Academy of Engineering: personalized learning and scientific discovery. Unique aspects of the proposed framework include: a hands-on short course in engineering topics and software tools; formal mentor training including modules for mentoring CC students; daily student meetings with mentors; extensive professional development seminars; formal research training including daily reflection journals, poster presentations and technical writing with a faculty member; and recruitment from a unique pool of highly talented URM students.

How We Do It: An Innovative General Surgery Mentoring Program

The taxing nature of surgery residency is well-documented in the literature, with residents demonstrating high rates of burnout, depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual harassment, and racial discrimination. Mentoring has been shown to improve camaraderie, address challenges of underrepresentation in medicine, and be associated with lower burnout. However, existing formal mentoring programs tend to be career-focused and hierarchal without opportunity to discuss important sociocultural issues. An innovative approach is needed to address these cultural and anthropological issues in surgery residencies while creating camaraderie and learning alternative perspectives across different levels of training. We sought to describe the framework we used to fill these needs by creating and implementing a novel mentoring program. A vertical, near-peer mentoring system of 7 groups was created consisting of the following members: 1 to 2 medical students, a PGY-1 general surgery resident, a PGY-4 research resident, and a faculty member. Meetings occur every 3 to 4 months in a casual setting with the first half of the meeting dedicated to intentional reflection and the second half focused on an evidence-based discussion regarding a specific topic in the context of surgery (i.e., burnout, discrimination, allyship, and finding purpose). Program implementation took place at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Medical students, general surgery residents, and general surgery faculty were recruited. We have successfully launched the pilot year of a cross-spectrum formal mentoring program in general surgery. This program emphasizes camaraderie throughout training while providing opportunities for evidence-based discussion regarding sociocultural topics. We have included increased opportunities for community inclusivity and mentoring while allowing trainees and faculty members to discuss sensitive topics in a supportive environment. We plan to continue developing the program with robust evaluation and to expand the program to other surgical specialties and to other institutions.

Great expectations: Adapting a research agenda to changing scholarship requirements

When leaving initial professional librarian positions to join new organizations, the authors considered several common factors: salaries and benefits, livability of potential cities, and new colleagues. However, thriving early- and mid-career librarians taking the step into different roles must be able to navigate one less commonly discussed aspect of a workplace transition: differing expectations of original research among institutions and according to job classification.When moving from one tenure track position to another, librarians are likely to encounter different formal tenure requirements and support mechanisms at a new institution. Small universities might weigh the successful completion of day-to-day duties more heavily, with less emphasis on research output. Often larger research institutions are the inverse, with a much heavier emphasis on what research is published or presented, and where. Since expectations can be informally relayed and not expressly stated in job postings or during interviews, understanding an employer's idea of what constitutes significant scholarship is often developed over the course of the first year at an organization.This column will discuss the two main characteristics that typically inform expected research output: the type of institution for which the librarian works and the classification of the individual's position. The authors draw on recent experiences assessing different research expectations when changing employers, as well as current research on the topic. Expectations can also change moving from non-research-intensive positions into tenure-track or continuing-status-eligible positions at the same institution, and librarians in these situations often will have to deal with differing expectations around output metrics or impact factors in their research. Successful librarians changing roles will recognize that research expectations are a continuum, and will be able to assess where their current job falls on the library research spectrum. Once readers determine whether their new position requires a low, medium, or high level of scholarship and service, they can then strategize to adapt their existing agenda to meet expectations.Lastly, the column will help early- and mid-career librarians identify and assess the resources and support available to assist them in continuing their research agendas, regardless of positional research and scholarship expectations. Formal mentors, peer researchers in one's professional network, and new colleagues can all help with the stated and informal expectations of research.

Characteristics, attitudes, and motivations of hunting mentors in Florida

AbstractAcross the United States, conservation leaders have been concerned about declines in hunting participation because hunting license sales and taxes on the sale of equipment used for hunting generate a significant portion of wildlife conservation funding. Natural resource agencies have begun focusing on recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives to reverse this decline. These initiatives, in part, seek to increase participation in hunting and shooting sports of currently nonhunting audiences. One of the primary techniques used by the R3 initiative is to develop mentoring programs that provide hunting opportunities for participants with an experienced hunter. Because of its unique and flexible tactics (e.g., calling, still hunting vs run and gun hunting), turkey hunting affords a natural opportunity for mentoring to take place. However, to make mentoring programs efficient and effective, R3 practitioners must have an understanding of the demographics of mentors and what challenges or incentives may exist to participating in a mentoring program. Therefore, we surveyed Florida turkey hunters to (1) understand the demographics of turkey hunters who mentor and (2) assess the challenges, benefits, and incentives to mentoring other turkey hunters in Florida. In 2015, we collected a random sample of 2,817 Florida hunters eligible to hunt turkeys from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hunting license registry. A total of 710 respondents actively hunted turkeys in the state of Florida. Experienced turkey hunters who mentor perceived challenges (lack of time, interferes with their own hunting opportunity, unfamiliar with mentoring opportunities) less and viewed incentives less than novice and intermediate experienced mentoring hunters. Among wild turkey hunters in Florida, the propensity to mentor was greater among men and those who hunted private land and increased with level of turkey‐hunting experience. To recruit new mentors, agencies must increase awareness of formal mentor programs that focus a connection to public land access and provide recognition to the individuals attending.

Junior Mentorship Program (JuMP) Start in Surgery—Implications on Trainee Success

Surgical residency, and particularly the early transition years into junior residency or internship, poses great challenges to the trainee, with implications on success, burnout, and attrition. There is increasing recognition of the benefits of mentorship in surgery, however, significant barriers exist in forming these relationships. Peer mentorship also has many additional benefits, though its role in surgical training is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the experience following implementation of a formalized peer mentorship program within a large surgical training program. Fourteen post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) general surgery residents were each interviewed and voluntarily matched with a post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) general surgery resident at the University of Toronto for the July 2019 to June 2020 academic year. The recommendation was for an initial meet-and-greet, followed by meetings once every 1 to 2 months. Meetings and discussion topics were encouraged, including emphasis on wellness, study skills, team leadership, and an opportunity to share experiences or concerns. A 1-year post-implementation survey was sent out individually to both groups. Twenty-eight general surgery residents were surveyed (14 PGY1s, 14 PGY2s). Seventy percent (11/14) of PGY1s responded, while 50% (7/14) PGY2s responded. Three themes emerged from survey: I) peer mentorship provides multiple benefits, II) similar personalities make for a good peer mentorship pair, III) formal scheduled sessions for mentorship should be implemented into the residency curriculum. Amongst junior general surgery residents, a formal peer mentorship program provides benefits to both the mentor and mentee. Scheduling difficulties in the absence of structured meetings, and the importance of the mentee-mentor match are key considerations for successful implementation of a mentorship program. Further longitudinal and multicentre studies can be performed to evaluate the long-term impact of these formalized peer mentorship programs on surgical trainee success, including burnout and attrition.

PhD student perspectives on maintaining and formalizing peer mentorship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mentorship is important for doctoral education and development. Students in Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing programs traditionally receive formal mentorship from more experienced faculty mentors, creating a top-down, mentor-mentee relationship. Peer mentorship, characterized by a mentor-mentee relationship between peers in similar career stages, provides unique opportunities for career development and socialization. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person interactions and introduced new, complex challenges to peer mentorship. The authors, current and recently graduated PhD in Nursing students, were forced to create new ways of connecting with peers and sought to explore how other PhD in Nursing students experienced and maintained peer mentorship in their respective programs during the pandemic. In this article, the authors share their personal experiences with peer mentorship during the pandemic, their process of creating a formal peer mentor model, and findings from a national, cross-sectional survey on COVID-related, peer mentorship experiences among PhD in Nursing students from other academic institutions. Most respondents were able to maintain peer mentorship throughout the pandemic, however, less than half reported receiving faculty support to do so. Recommendations for PhD in Nursing program administrators are provided, based on the experiences of the authors and survey results from PhD in Nursing students across the United States.

The impact of mentoring in trauma and orthopaedic training: a systematic review.

Trauma and orthopaedics is renowned for being a challenging yet rewarding career. The value of mentorship in medical and surgical training is known to be beneficial; however, the prevalence and quality of mentorship opportunities in orthopaedics are less well studied. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of mentoring programmes in orthopaedic training and recognising barriers to effective mentorship are key to unlocking the full potential of future orthopaedic surgeons. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library was performed. All studies published in the English language that reported data on mentorship programmes in orthopaedic training were included. A total of 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies demonstrated that formal mentorship programmes in orthopaedics are lacking but are sought after, with a positive influence on satisfaction and future career choice/subspecialty selection identified. Several barriers to mentoring in the field were recognised including the difficulty faced by female trainees, the availability of mentors and time constraints. The opportunity to choose a mentor, a mentor with the same interests, regular meetings and the option of gender congruent mentorship were all identified as crucial requirements for effective mentorship. Mentorship opportunities must be more accessible to all orthopaedic trainees alike and should aim to incorporate the attributes identified to provide the highest calibre of training to prospective orthopaedic surgeons.

Career aspirations and influencing factors among male and female students studying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in Ghana

This paper examines the career aspirations of male and female students studying Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects at the tertiary level in Ghana and the motivating factors for these aspirations. The study objectives were addressed using data gathered from a survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used in analysing the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The results show that there is no significant difference in the career aspirations of male and female students. However, we established that there are differences in the factors that influence career choices of male and female students. While economic consideration was a significant factor for males’ interest in pursuing a career in STEM, females were influenced by external motivation factors such as encouragement and motivation from role models. The authors recommend both formal and informal science-related mentorship programmes and internships as measures that could encourage females to actualise their career aspirations in STEM since it is an essential way of empowering them and building their capacities for national development.

Strengthening supportive networks for care leavers: A scoping review of social support interventions in child welfare services

Care leavers often have a smaller network and receive less social support than other youth. This is problematic, as research highlights the importance of having a strong social network on which to rely when transitioning to adulthood. As such, the purpose of this scoping review was to identify studies describing interventions, programs, or methods used by child welfare services to strengthen or enhance supportive networks for care leavers. A literature search was conducted among five databases. The search was limited to articles published between 2010 and 2020 and written in English. To be as comprehensive and inclusive as possible, quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies were included. Twelve articles were included in the review. The interventions discussed in these twelve studies were divided by the authors into five categories: (1) natural mentoring, (2) formal mentoring, (3) formal mentoring and skills training, (4) network facilitation by intensive family finding, and (5) self-help groups. This scoping review suggests that few studies have been conducted on social support interventions for care leavers carried out by child welfare services. Moreover, the method of evaluation differs among the studies that do exist. The literature is thus too limited to suggest a promising practice, but there are some examples of hopeful interventions. As such, there seems to be a need for more research on social support interventions within a child welfare context.

503 Implementing a formal research mentoring training program at the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute: early findings and outcomes

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The goal of this study is to describe the implementation of a formal research mentoring training program at Miami CTSI in collaboration with University of Colorado CTSI, to build effective mentor-mentee relationships that help build successful research careers for junior faculty. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The Miami CTSI Research Mentoring Training is a three-part series for early stage faculty and their mentors to strengthen mentoring skills and build successful relationships. The curriculum uses evidence-based strategies and is modeled after University of Colorado CTSIs CO-Mentor Training Program. The pilot training was conducted as a train-the-trainer program with subsequent workshops led by Miami CTSI faculty. The program has mentee-only, mentor-only, and joint sessions covering topics such as networking skills, managing financial aspects of an academic career, and career mapping. To assess program effectiveness, pre/post surveys were conducted and follow up surveys are planned. Data collected will assess participant diversity, research productivity, and mentoring relationship status. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: A total of 49 mentor-mentee teams from 18 departments participated in the training over two cohorts. An upcoming third cohort will be included in the analysis. Overall, 100% mentors and 86% mentees reported the overall value of the program as positive. Post-training, mentees reported an increase in confidence in creating career development plans and articulating career goals. Mentors reported an increase in confidence in providing guidance tailored to mentees needs. Mentees reported improvement in their knowledge of developing personal narratives and handling financial aspects of research; both mentors and mentees reported improvement in insights into achieving work-life balance. Follow up survey results will provide insight into the evolution of the mentoring relationships. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Miami CTSIs mentoring training demonstrated successful participation and positive feedback from mentors and mentees and is poised to become a critical component of the Miami CTSIs research career development pipeline.

Adapting to the Era of Virtual Recruitment: Radiology Departmental Website Response to COVID-19 and Portrayal of the Resident Experience

Rationale and ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has transformed radiology recruitment into a virtual affair and placed an even stronger emphasis on the importance of departmental websites. In this study, we evaluate residency websites in detailing the response to COVID-19 as well as initiatives which help describe the resident experience.Materials and MethodsProgram websites for diagnostic radiology residencies listed in the 2022 Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) program list were evaluated for 31 criteria related to departmental response to COVID-19, online outreach, and resident wellness.ResultsOf 184 programs, 182 had functioning websites for review. One program was excluded from analysis as the website was almost entirely video-based. In response to COVID-19, ≤1% described resident redeployment, vaccination information, departmental response to ABR Core Exam changes, or regular administration updates. Six (3.3%) described revised read-out protocols, four (2.2%) mentioned supplementary non-clinical education, and 14 (7.7%) indicated changes to educational conferences. The majority of websites (122, 67.4%) offered an informational or tour video, while 44 (24.3%) described expectations for virtual interviewing, and 20 (11.0%) had virtual “open-houses.” Departmental social media, primarily Twitter, was linked for 60 (33.1%) programs. A total of 134 (74.0%) websites described community highlights.More than a quarter mentioned meal stipends (72, 39.8%), paid sick time (54, 29.8%) and healthcare resources (57, 31.5%). Although social activities were described by 44 (24.3%) programs, some specifically indicating changes to COVID-19, formal resident mentoring (25, 13.8%) and wellness committees (28, 15.5%) were less common. These criteria were found more commonly at the largest third of residency programs (chi square, p < 0.00625).ConclusionPrograms rarely described work flow changes to COVID-19, and websites could improve in virtual outreach. Compared with prior literature, departmental websites have improved in describing wellness initiatives and related measures.

Burnout and well-being in otolaryngology trainees: A systematic review.

ObjectiveTo comprehensively review the recent published literature to characterize current trends of burnout and well‐being among otolaryngology trainees.MethodsStudy design: systematic review and meta‐analysis. A comprehensive literature review from 2000 to 2021 of studies related to otolaryngology resident burnout and well‐being, as well as the general topic of well‐being among surgical residents was completed. All included studies were summarized qualitatively. For the quantitative analysis, only articles reporting a Maslach burnout inventory (MBI), modified MBI or Mini‐Z‐ Burnout assessment were included.ResultsTwenty‐five articles were included in the qualitative summary and nine articles in the quantitative analysis. In the qualitative summary, trainees were reported to have increased levels of distress and emotional hardening compared to attending otolaryngologists. Total hours worked per week and female gender were associated with worsened well‐being. Residency program strategies to improve trainee well‐being include program‐sponsored wellness activities, dedicated wellness champions, and assistance with clerical burden. Implementation of protected nonclinical time has been shown to decrease burnout and increase well‐being among trainees. Moreover, formal trainee mentorship programs have also been shown to reduce trainee burnout and stress. In the quantitative analysis, rates of trainee burnout ranged from 29.7% to 86% with an overall trend towards reduced rates of burnout from 2006 to 2021. Utilizing a weighted average, the overall burnout among otolaryngology residents was 58.6%.ConclusionsRates of burnout remain high among otolaryngology trainees. Implementing formal mentorship programs and providing protected time during regular work hours appear to be effective tools to improve resident well‐being.

Gender Equality in Neurosurgery and Strategic Goals Toward a More Balanced Workforce.

The Women in Neurosurgery (WINS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons published a white paper in 2008 setting an ambitious goal for women to comprise 20% of neurosurgery residents by 2012 and 20% of practicing neurosurgeons by 2020. Although there has been steady progress, we have fallen short of these benchmarks. We take this opportunity to look back at the accomplishments made over the past decade and provide an update on our present status. We evaluate current barriers toward progress and propose new goals, highlighting the systemic changes necessary to accomplish them. We propose the following updated recommendations to recruit and retain diverse talent into the neurosurgical workforce. (1) Neurosurgical departments and societies should provide diverse, early formal mentorship opportunities for medical students, residents, and junior faculty members. (2) Parental leave policies must be delineated, promoted, and enforced for all neurosurgeons, with greater awareness of internal discrimination and normalization of the discussion surrounding this topic. (3) We need to strive for compensation equity, with transparency in compensation mechanisms and regular assessment of compensation metrics. (4) Departments and institutions must have a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and discrimination and establish a safe reporting structure. Finally, we propose attainable benchmarks toward achieving gender balance in the neurosurgical workforce, with a goal for women to comprise 30% of the entering residency class by 2030 and to comprise 30% of practicing neurosurgeons by 2038. We hope that this will guide further progress toward our future of building a balanced workforce.

Surgery Acting Internship Individual Learning Plans: Fostering Mentorship in the COVID-19 Era

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.

Radical Welcome in the Archives: What Does It Really Mean to Say “You're Welcome Here”?

Radical Welcome in the Archives: What Does It Really Mean to Say “You're Welcome Here”?