Physician Mentors Research Articles

Teaching Antimicrobial Decision-Making in Medical Education: A Qualitative Study

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials contributes to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. While physicians encounter infections in virtually every facet of medical practice, research has shown that physicians have difficulty determining the need for antimicrobials and choosing the right drug. Physicians’ difficulties with antimicrobial prescribing likely begin early in medical education, yet little is known about how medical students learn to make antimicrobial choices. Our study sought to better understand how medical students learn antimicrobial decision-making, including the impact of a new learning tool introduced in the Infectious Diseases (ID) and Microbiology preclinical course. Method: From 2021-2023, we conducted 18 individual interviews with a purposive sample of medical students at the University of Michigan who had taken the preclinical ID/Microbiology course during the 2019-2021 curricular years. We asked participants how they learned to make antimicrobial decisions and how the course and clinical rotations influenced their understanding of antimicrobial choice. The six participants who took the 2021 course were additionally asked how an antimicrobial decision-making tool introduced that year impacted that process (Figure 1). The tool was adapted from prior work on antimicrobial reasoning (Abdoler et al, 2020). Participants were asked whether they remembered being introduced to the tool (approximately 18 months prior) and if they utilized it during their clinical rotations. Results were analyzed using Dedoose Software to facilitate thematic analysis. Result: Several themes emerged on analysis. Nearly all participants reflected that they learned elements of antimicrobial decision-making during clinical rotations, through observation or direct interaction with physician mentors and patients. Several participants described the preclinical period as content learning, with clinical rotations providing a space to consolidate and scaffold knowledge, as well as transfer knowledge to new situations or tasks. Of the 6 students interviewed regarding the antimicrobial decision-making tool, only one remembered it and could accurately describe its components prior to being shown the tool during the interview. Conclusion: Results suggest that participants view the preclinical ID/Microbiology course primarily as an opportunity to learn content, and perceive learning antimicrobial decision-making directly from practicing physicians in the clinical portion of medical school. An antimicrobial decision-making tool introduced during the preclinical ID/Microbiology course in 2021 did not impact students’ conceptualization of how they learned this skill. Given that practicing physicians often make antimicrobial prescribing errors, regular re-introduction of the tool during clinical rotations may help bridge preclinical antimicrobial educational content to the clinical phase of learning, counteract inappropriate antimicrobial lessons encountered clinically, and ground students' burgeoning antimicrobial prescribing skills in a logical reasoning model.

What makes mentors thrive? An exploratory study of their satisfaction in undergraduate medical education

BackgroundMentoring medical students with varied backgrounds and individual needs can be challenging. Mentors’ satisfaction is likely to be important for the quality and sustainability of mentorships, especially in programs where the mentor has responsibility for facilitating a group of mentees. However, little is known about what influences mentors’ satisfaction. The aim of this study was to measure mentors’ self-reported satisfaction with the mentoring experience and to explore associations between satisfaction and its putative factors.MethodsAn online survey was sent out to all physician mentors in each of the three mentorship programs (UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University of Bergen, and McGill University, graduation years 2013–2020, n = 461). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, dimension reduction, and linear regression.ResultsOn a scale from 1 to 5, mean mentor satisfaction score at two Norwegian and one Canadian medical school was 4.55 (95% CI 4.47, 4.64). In a multilevel multivariate regression analysis, two predictors were significantly associated with mentors’ satisfaction: (1) the perception that students found the group meetings valuable (β = 0.186, 95% CI 0.021, 0.351, p = 0.027) and (2) mentors’ perceived rewards (β = 0.330, 95% CI 0.224, 0.437, p < 0.001). Perceived rewards included experiencing gratifying relationships with students, and mentors’ perception of self-development.ConclusionsIn this study, mentors appeared to be highly satisfied with their mentoring functions. Our findings suggest that mentors’ overall satisfaction is closely linked to their experiences of fulfilling mentor-student relationships and personal and professional development. Interestingly, and perhaps contrary to commonly held assumptions, we found no association between mentor satisfaction and financial compensation. Furthermore, satisfaction was not associated with the provision of pre-assigned topics for discussions for mentor group meetings. We propose that the mentors’ experienced psycho-social rewards, and their competence in establishing well-functioning group dynamics, should be areas of focus for faculty development.

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI KEPATUHAN PENGISIAN REKAM MEDIS DI RUMAH SAKIT GIGI DAN MULUT PENDIDIKAN UMY

Background: RSGMP UMY been utilizing computer-based information systems and manually medical records. Problems often arise in filing medical records are incomplete filling process. The purpose of this study to find out the problems in filling medical records, and analyzes the factors that influence adherence charging medical records in RSGMP UMY. Method: using quantitative and qualitative methods. Subjects in research is coass and physician mentors in RSGMP UMY. Research object is files medical records in 2012. Quantitative data using descriptive statistics, qualitative data using a coding interview. Results: The complete medical records of 236 (64.84%), and incomplete medical records of 128 (35.16%). Incomplete completeness aspect is the identity of the patients (3.85%), the date and time (1.65%), the name and signature of the doctor (23.35%), and correction of errors (16.21%). Medical record is incomplete due to factors selecting lecturers, lack of faculty, number of patients, limited time, knowledge, and attitudes operator. Conclusion: Factors affecting compliance to medical records in RSGM-P UMY is knowledge, limited time, operator attitude, sum of patient, and motivation.

The new mentee: Exploring Gen Z women medical students' mentorship needs and experiences.

The incoming Canadian cohort of medical students is comprised mainly of individuals from Generation Z (Gen Z; born between 1997 and 2012), with greater than 50% of applicants identifying as female. A gap remains in our understanding of Gen Z women learners in their challenges in navigating medical education, their expectations for their medical careers and the influences that have impacted their worldview. This study explored the needs, values, and experiences of Gen Z women medical students and the impact of these factors on mentorship expectations among this population that will soon be entering the workforce. Upon receiving ethics approval from the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board, semi-structured interviews were conducted (February-May 2021) with 15 Gen Z women students from 14 English-speaking Canadian medical schools who had given written consent to participate. An iterative constant comparative team approach was utilised in which the interview guide and sampling were adjusted as the data evolved. Transcripts were line by line coded into categories, then grouped into themes using descriptive analysis. These socially aware learners described how society had afforded them greater opportunities for expression, which gave them a sense of feeling advantaged over older generations. However, participants paradoxically expressed feelings of powerlessness and commented on tensions they experienced when interacting with older generation physician mentors, especially during conversations on social justice issues. They also highlighted instances of biased mentorship specific to their gender. Participants emphasised a desire for inclusive mentorship that considered the mentee's identity and intersectionality. The growing number of women learners in Canadian medical schools necessitates a re-evaluation of mentorship delivery. Mentors must adapt by integrating Gen Z ideals to overcome mentorship challenges.

Developing a Clinical Research Infrastructure embedded in an Academic Medicine Center that Equitably Supports Future Clinician Scientists.

Clinical research in academic medical centers can be difficult to conduct and meet enrollment goals. Students underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are also underrepresented in academic leadership positions and as physician-scientists but are critical to help solve health disparities. Barriers in pursuing medicine as a career may be high for URiM students, therefore it is important to create pre-medicine opportunities accessible to all students interested in health care careers. We describe an undergraduate clinical research platform, the Academic Associate Program, embedded in the medical system that supports clinical research for academic physician scientists and provides students equitable access to experiences and mentoring opportunities. Students have the opportunity of completing a Pediatric Clinical Research Minor (PCRM) degree. This program satisfies many pre-medicine opportunities for undergraduate students, including those URiM, and allows access to physician mentors and unique educational experiences for graduate school or employment. Since 2009, 820 students participated in the AcA program (17.5% URiM) and 235 students (18% URiM) completed the PCRM. Of the 820 students, 126 (10% URiM) students matriculated to medical school, 128 (11%URiM) to graduate school, and 85 (16.5% URiM) gained employment in biomedical research fields. Students in our program supported 57 publications and were top-enrollers for several multi-centered studies. The AcA program is cost-effective and achieves a high level of success enrolling patients into clinical research. Additionally, the AcA program provides equitable access for students URiM to physician mentorship, pre-medical experiences, and an avenue to early immersion in academic medicine.

Oncology Patient Education and Student Education Program

Background For many medical students interested in oncology during medical school, they will face a range of often disconnected activities. This may include participating in mentorship with faculty (shadowing/rotating), oncology lectures separated across multiple modules on step1/step2 topics, interest group meetings, volunteering, as well as participating in fundraisers or events through their local cancer center. We wanted to find a way to combine these efforts at the Georgia Cancer Center, as a model for other medical schools who also want to strength the oncology education and career exploration opportunities at their programs. Methods We paired teams of medical students with a physician-oncologist mentors covering every major oncology field from radiology/pathology to heme-onc to surgery and radiation oncology. Each team was given a topic (ie Breast Cancer, Pediatric Cancer etc) to produce a Patient Education video to inform patients about the most up-to-date cancer prevention and screening initiatives. In addition, these teams also raised money for our local 'Unite in the Fight' fundraiser supporting the Georgia Cancer Center (GCC). The videos they produced were shown to the participants of main event of the fundraiser. Next, the teams were tasked with producing Student education videos that focused on high yield step review for their same topics. These videos were judged by a panel of medical educators, oncologists, and cancer-survivors with awards for top patient education, top student education, and top fundraising team. Results We had 10 teams of students (48 students overall) participate, each producing Patient and Student videos that were highly rated by the judges. The Dean of Curriculum has now included the Student Education videos as part of the Capstone module that prepares M2′s for Step 1 and clerkships. We are working with the GCC to include the Patient Education videos on tablets provides to patients in the oncology clinic. Lastly, student teams raised over $10,000 from 167 donors for Unite in the Fight (total fundraiser that year was $50,000). Discussion We feel that we were able to provide a synergistic longitudinal experience that allowed 48 students to 1) explore oncology as a career, 2) contribute to patient education, 3) contribute to student education, and make an impact on the local cancer survivor community. By contrast, in years past oncology interest group events were attending by 5-10 students. Many students reported building strong mentorship relationships after working with their physician mentors over the year of this event. For many medical students interested in oncology during medical school, they will face a range of often disconnected activities. This may include participating in mentorship with faculty (shadowing/rotating), oncology lectures separated across multiple modules on step1/step2 topics, interest group meetings, volunteering, as well as participating in fundraisers or events through their local cancer center. We wanted to find a way to combine these efforts at the Georgia Cancer Center, as a model for other medical schools who also want to strength the oncology education and career exploration opportunities at their programs. We paired teams of medical students with a physician-oncologist mentors covering every major oncology field from radiology/pathology to heme-onc to surgery and radiation oncology. Each team was given a topic (ie Breast Cancer, Pediatric Cancer etc) to produce a Patient Education video to inform patients about the most up-to-date cancer prevention and screening initiatives. In addition, these teams also raised money for our local 'Unite in the Fight' fundraiser supporting the Georgia Cancer Center (GCC). The videos they produced were shown to the participants of main event of the fundraiser. Next, the teams were tasked with producing Student education videos that focused on high yield step review for their same topics. These videos were judged by a panel of medical educators, oncologists, and cancer-survivors with awards for top patient education, top student education, and top fundraising team. We had 10 teams of students (48 students overall) participate, each producing Patient and Student videos that were highly rated by the judges. The Dean of Curriculum has now included the Student Education videos as part of the Capstone module that prepares M2′s for Step 1 and clerkships. We are working with the GCC to include the Patient Education videos on tablets provides to patients in the oncology clinic. Lastly, student teams raised over $10,000 from 167 donors for Unite in the Fight (total fundraiser that year was $50,000). We feel that we were able to provide a synergistic longitudinal experience that allowed 48 students to 1) explore oncology as a career, 2) contribute to patient education, 3) contribute to student education, and make an impact on the local cancer survivor community. By contrast, in years past oncology interest group events were attending by 5-10 students. Many students reported building strong mentorship relationships after working with their physician mentors over the year of this event.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Household Income, and Mentorship Among Interns Who Are Underrepresented in Medicine.

Underrepresented in medicine (UIM) interns have unique lived experiences that affect their paths to medicine, and more information is needed for medical residency and fellowship programs to better support them. We describe self-reported differences between UIM and White physician interns in key demographic areas, including household income growing up, physician mentorship, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Between 2019 and 2021, we administered a diversity survey to incoming medical interns at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Response rates across the 3 years were 51.2% (167 of 326), 93.9% (310 of 330), and 98.9% (354 of 358), respectively. We conducted analyses to compare UIM and White groups across demographic variables of interest. A total of 831 of 1014 interns (81.9%) completed the survey. Relative to White interns, UIM interns had lower household incomes growing up, lower rates of mentorship, and higher rates of experiencing 4 or more ACEs. The odds of experiencing the cumulative burden of having a childhood household income of $29,999 or less, no physician mentor, and 4 or more ACEs was approximately 10 times higher among UIM (6.41%) than White (0.66%) interns (OR=10.38, 95% CI 1.97-54.55). Childhood household income, prior mentorship experiences, and number of ACEs differed between UIM and White interns.

The liminal landscape of mentoring-Stories of physicians becoming mentors.

This study explores narratives of physicians negotiating liminality while becoming and being mentors for medical students. Liminality is the unstable phase of a learning trajectory in which one leaves behind one understanding but has yet to reach a new insight or position. In this study, we analysed semi-structural interviews of 22 physician mentors from group-based mentoring programmes at two Norwegianand one Canadian medical school. In a dialogical narrative analysis, we applied liminality as a sensitising lens, focusing on informants' stories of becoming a mentor. Liminality is an unavoidable aspect of developing as a mentor. Which strategies mentors resort to when facing liminality are influenced by their narrative coherence. Some mentors thrive in liminality, enjoying the possibility of learning and developing as mentors. Others deem mentoring and the medical humanities peripheral to medicine and thus struggle with integrating mentor and physician identities. They may contradict themselves as they shift between their multiple identities, resulting in rejection of the learning potentials that liminality affords. Mentors with integrated physician and mentor identities can embrace liminality and develop as mentors. Those mentors with contradicting dialogues between their identities may avoid liminality if it challenges their understanding of who they are and make them experience discomfort, confusion and insufficiency while becoming a mentor. Support of the mentoring role from the clinical culture may help these physicians develop internal dialogues that reconcile their clinician and mentor identities.

Mentorship Programs in Residency: A Scoping Review.

Mentorship during residency training is correlated with improved outcomes. Many residency programs have implemented formal mentorship programs; however, reported data for these programs have not been previously synthesized. Thus, existing programs may fall short on delivering effective mentorship. To synthesize current literature on formal mentorship programs in residency training in Canada and the United States, including program structure, outcomes, and evaluation. In December 2019, the authors performed a scoping review of the literature in Ovid MEDLINE and Embase. The search strategy included keywords relevant to mentorship and residency training. Eligibility criteria included any study describing a formal mentorship program for resident physicians within Canada or the United States. Data from each study were extracted in parallel by 2 team members and reconciled. A total of 6567 articles were identified through the database search, and 55 studies met inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction and analysis. Though reported program characteristics were heterogenous, programs most commonly assigned a staff physician mentor to a resident mentee with meetings occurring every 3 to 6 months. The most common evaluation strategy was a satisfaction survey at a single time point. Few studies performed qualitative evaluations or used evaluation tools appropriate to the stated objectives. Analysis of data from qualitative studies allowed us to identify key barriers and facilitators for successful mentorship programs. While most programs did not utilize rigorous evaluation strategies, data from qualitative studies provided insights into barriers and facilitators of successful mentorship programs, which can inform program design and improvement.

An Approach to Leadership Development and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Education in the Context of Professional Identity Formation in Pre-Clinical Medical Students.

Leadership and patient safety and quality improvement (PSQI) are recognized as essential parts of a physician's role and identity, which are important for residency training. Providing adequate opportunities for undergraduate medical students to learn skills related to these areas, and their importance, is challenging. The Western University Professional Identity Course (WUPIC) was introduced to develop leadership and PSQI skills in second-year medical students while also aiming to instill these topics into their identities. The experiential learning portion was a series of student-led and physician-mentored PSQI projects in clinical settings that synthesized leadership and PSQI principles. Course evaluation was done through pre/post-student surveys and physician mentor semi-structured interviews. A total of 108 of 188 medical students (57.4%), and 11 mentors (20.7%), participated in the course evaluation. Student surveys and mentor interviews illustrated improved student ability to work in teams, self-lead, and engage in systems-level thinking through the course. Students improved their PSQI knowledge and comfort levels while also appreciating its importance. The findings from our study suggest that undergraduate medical students can be provided with an enriching leadership and PSQI experience through the implementation of faculty-mentored but student-led groups at the core of the curricular intervention. As students enter their clinical years, their first-hand PSQI experience will serve them well in increasing their capacity and confidence to take on leadership roles.

The Impact of Parent and Family Caregiver Roles Among Canadian Radiation Oncologists

Working parents, and a rising number of adults delivering care for aging relatives, experience numerous challenges in their personal, family, professional, and financial lives owing to multiple responsibilities. This study describes the experiences of Canadian radiation oncologist (RO) parents and family caregivers, reporting challenges that may exist in providing family care with clinical and academic work commitments. Canadian ROs, via RO heads of departments in cancer centers across Canada, and physician members of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey between November 2021 and January 2022. The survey focused on demographics, experiences of pregnancy and leave, parenting and adult caregiving responsibilities, and self-care. A total of 103 staff ROs (38%) completed the survey and 78 (75.7%) identified as having a parental (76 [89.7%]) and/or other family caregiver (8 [10.3%]) role; 41% were female and 59% were male, with no difference between genders in the number of children (median, 2; interquartile range, 1-3; P=.17). More female respondents took parental leave for their first child compared with male respondents (mean, 29 vs 6 weeks; P < .001). Of male respondents who started caring for their first child during residency, 27% took parental leave, compared with 77% who started caring for their first child as a staff member (P=.003). The majority of respondents described "always/usually" having collegial support for each pregnancy and parental leave. Both genders described parental responsibilities as negatively affecting attendance at conferences (male, 65%; female, 77%; P=.31) and early or late work-related meetings (male, 76%; female, 79%; P=1.0). More female respondents described parental responsibilities as negatively affecting their career (50% vs 29%; P=.085). Of female respondents, 52% (vs 26% of male respondents; P=.044) identified a physician mentor or positive role model around parenting issues. Parental and other family caregiving responsibilities are not gender unique in Canadian ROs, but competing work and family roles may affect genders differently.

QLTI-12. THE IMPACT OF MENTORING ON EARLY CAREER FACULTY: ASSESSMENT OF A VIRTUAL MENTORING PROGRAM

Abstract BACKGROUND Participation in mentorship programs for early career physicians is crucial to developing key skills and professional networks, but availability and opportunities for mentorship may be hampered by racial, ethnic and gender leadership disparities in medicine. A 6-month virtually facilitated peer mentorship program for women and diverse early career faculty was developed and piloted through the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Women &amp; Diversity Committee. METHODS We designed and conducted a 6-month pilot open to SNO’s multidisciplinary early career members, leveraging peer-mentoring sessions with mid-to late-career physician mentors. A curriculum with online resources was provided and group assignments were based on time-zones and interests. Pre- and post-participation surveys assessed mentee experience and descriptive statistics assessed participant demographics and survey results. Results/ CONCLUSION Twenty mentee applicants participated in 5 groups. Mentees were 90% women, 60% from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Most were aged 31-40 (75%) and junior faculty (50%) in neuro-oncology (65%). Five mentors (2 female) practiced either neuro-oncology (3), neurosurgery (1) or radiation oncology (1). The proportion of mentees with a signature talk increased from 15% to 71% during the pilot. A large majority (64%) reported a positive impact of the program on their profile, career and networking, and reported participation was worthwhile (86%), and worth recommending to others (93%). Feedback themes included personal growth, peer support, networking, job opportunities, desire for late career female mentors, and scheduling constraints. The virtual environment during a global pandemic allowed participants to connect, creating a venue to discuss topics such as work-life balance, burnout, and self-advocacy. We did not have 100% post pilot follow up despite multiple attempts, limiting complete understanding of the pilot. This virtual mentorship pilot program proved feasible and of value in development of early career women and diverse individuals. A resource toolkit has been designed to scale and diffuse.

Abstract 12768: Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Research Initiative on the Research Career Development of Medical Students

Background The Cardiovascular Research Initiative (CVRI) was founded in 2021 by leaders and members of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Medical Student Member Community (MSMC) to bring together students passionate about conducting cardiovascular research. The group comprises 62 students who worked on 7 review articles since December 2021 under the guidance of physician mentors. The CVRI also aims to develop members’ research knowledge and skills and thus held a webinar on ‘Key Steps in Conducting Systematic Reviews’ in February 2022. Methods Two surveys were created and distributed to members of the ACC MSMC. The surveys were used to assess the overall impact of the Research Initiative and Systematic Review Webinar on the career development of medical students and evaluate the diversity of participants and inclusiveness of the projects. Results From the Research Initiative author survey (n = 12), 92% of respondents identified as being from underrepresented backgrounds, had prior research experience and believe that research is a valuable part of their professional development. All respondents agreed that after participating in these research projects, they are likely to pursue research later in their careers, and 92% strongly believe that participating in the Research Initiative is a valuable experience for their research career development. The Systematic Review Webinar feedback survey (n = 12) was completed by 30% of attendees, most of whom were in their last 2 years of medical school from 8 different countries. A total of 84% of respondents felt that the webinar improved their knowledge of performing a systematic review and 50% felt prepared to conduct a systematic review after attending. Additionally, 84% felt that the virtual nature of the webinar enhanced their research knowledge and would attend and recommend future webinars on research methods and related topics. Conclusions The CVRI provides students from various countries and underrepresented backgrounds with opportunities and knowledge to succeed in research through manuscript writing experience and educational webinars. With its growing number of participants, the ACC MSMC continues to cultivate cardiovascular research career development among medical students.

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.

COVID19 Limits on Physician Shadowing Harm Undergraduate Students’ Futures

Shadowing is constantly praised as an essential component of an undergraduate student's pre-medical journey, at times even described as “ubiquitous.” Whether a student decides to pursue a career as a physician or a different pathway, students report shadowing as a key deciding factor. For students considering a career in medicine, shadowing is a unique opportunity to understand physician-patient interactions. Shadowing is crucial for students to make professional connections and find physician mentors. In particular, shadowing unlocks opportunities for underrepresented groups, underprivileged students, and women, as shadowing may be their only opportunity to see what a physician does on a day to day basis.The coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused rapidly changing rules. Formal shadowing programs have been suspended and informal shadowing has been prohibited for over two years, and there's no end in sight. We cannot continue on this way. To mitigate this dire situation, we propose the following four specific recommendations.First, allow in-person, undergraduate student shadowing while ensuring safety. Undergraduate students need shadowing experiences, and it is essential that shadowing programs are conducted with proper risk mitigation protocols.Second, enhance and maximize virtual shadowing. True virtual shadowing is technically feasible and could be made available with physicians who are seeing patients via telemedicine. By enabling three-way video calling, students could observe the patient-provider interaction in the virtual setting.Third, fill clinical, front-line hospital roles with student volunteers and/or workers. Students could gain practical frontline, clinical exposure and real-world experiences supporting the medical system during a pandemic.Fourth, recognize the student experiences. College advisors, medical school admissions officers, and medical school faculty need to understand the drastically decreased in-hospital time that current students have had, and all the obstacles that will impede shadowing opportunities for years to come.We owe it to students, current and future physicians, the entire medical community, and society at large to reinvigorate opportunities for shadowing. The pipeline and the next generation of physicians depends on it.

Understanding attributes and characteristics of the PA leader-physician relationship.

This study sought to evaluate the attributes and characteristics of physician mentors, dual-roled physician assistant (PA) leaders, and how this relationship affects PA leaders and the PA leader-physician relationship. Dual-role PA leaders may possess additional formal job titles and duties as well as having direct reports. We surveyed PA leaders at a single large academic medical center and its associated health system. The survey instrument evaluated perceptions, attitudes, and characteristics of the PA leader and influential physician and their relationship. Of the 56 PA leaders surveyed, 34 responded, for a 60.7% response rate. Effective communication was the most prevalent relational characteristic ranked as most important for both PA leaders (30%) and physician mentors (36%). Additional self-identified positive attributes of the team included collaborative mindset, reliability/trustworthiness, work ethic, and delivery of patient care. Influential physician mentors may have a significant effect on PA leader job satisfaction and career advancement. This is a novel study of PA leaders examining perceptions, beliefs, and characteristics of the PA leader-physician relationship. PAs are integral healthcare team members and medical providers. As PAs work closely in physician-led teams, further understanding the PA leader-physician relationship could influence PA and physician professional development, career trajectory, and healthcare team outcomes.

The impact of mentoring on early career faculty: Assessment of a virtual mentoring program.

11039 Background: Participation in mentorship programs for early career physicians may be crucial to developing key skills and professional networks to navigate racial, ethnic and gender leadership disparities in medicine. A 6-month virtual facilitated peer mentorship program was developed and piloted through the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Women &amp; Diversity Committee. The evaluation of the program’s feasibility to positively impact early career physicians, investigators and trainees is presented here. Methods: We designed and conducted a virtual mentoring program pilot open to SNO’s multidisciplinary members in residency, fellowship, or early career phase, leveraging peer-mentoring sessions with mid-to late-career physician mentors. A curriculum with online resources was provided recommending groups meet for 6 sessions: 3 involving the mentor and 3 dedicated to peer-mentoring. Group assignments were based on time-zones and interests. Pre- and post-participation surveys assessed mentee experience. Descriptive statistics were used to assess participant demographics and survey results. Results: Our call for participation was broad; all 20 mentee applicants participated in 5 groups. Mentees were 90% women and 60% were from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Most were aged 31-40 (75%) and junior faculty (50%) in neuro-oncology (65%). The 5 senior mentors (3 men and 3 of diverse race and ethnic backgrounds) practiced either neuro-oncology (3), neurosurgery (1) or radiation oncology (1). The proportion who reporting having a signature lecture increased from 15% to 62% during the pilot. A large majority reported their participation was worthwhile (85%), that they would participate again (92%) and would recommend it to others (92%). Feedback themes included positive personal growth, peer support, networking and job opportunities, access to CV reviews, lack of and desire for late career female mentors, and virtual scheduling constraints. While the pilot was limited by several variables, it was timely to connect participants in Q3 of 2020 early in the COVID-19 global pandemic. The virtual meeting environment created a venue to share and discuss topics such as work-life balance, burnout, leading through change and social connection. Despite not achieving 100% professional concordance, participants found the experience worthwhile. The tools and curriculum of topics provided was implemented differently across groups, leading to varied experiences. Finally, we did not have 100% post pilot follow up despite multiple attempts limiting our complete understanding of the pilot. Conclusions: This virtual mentorship pilot program proved feasible and of value in development of early career women and diverse individuals. A resource toolkit has been designed to scale and diffuse.

Pragmatic Mentoring Strategies for the Busy Surgeon Scientist

The value of research mentorship in academic medicine is well-recognized, yet there is little practical advice for how to develop and sustain effective mentoring partnerships. Gaining research skill and mentorship is particularly critical to success in academic surgery, yet surgeon scientists are challenged in their mentorship efforts by time constraints and lack of education on how to mentor. To address this gap, this study explored the strategies that award-winning faculty mentors utilize in collaborating with their medical student mentees in research. For this qualitative study, the authors invited physician recipients of an institution-wide mentorship award to participate in individual, semi-structured interviews during July and August 2018. Following interview transcription, the authors independently coded the text and collaboratively identified common mentoring strategies and practices via a process of thematic analysis. Nine physician mentors, representing a mix of genders, medical specialties and types of research (basic science, clinical, translational, and health services), participated in interviews. The authors identified 12 strategies and practices from the interview transcripts that fell into 5 categories: Initiating the partnership; Determining the research focus; Providing project oversight; Developing mentee research competence; and Supporting mentee self-efficacy. Award-winning mentors employ a number of shared strategies when mentoring medical trainees in research. These strategies can serve as a guide for academic surgeons who wish to improve their research mentoring skills.

The Social Mission Committee: Establishing a Student-Based Organization to Advance Awareness of Socially Conscious Medicine.

Purpose: One of the most fundamental purposes of medical education is to train future physicians in how to best care for the sick. 1 In response to national unrest, medical schools are being increasingly called to incorporate social determinants of health into their curriculum to best provide comprehensive, informed care. 2 Traditionally, medical schools often fail to emphasize social medicine within their school processes. We propose a student-driven approach to advance awareness and adoption of socially conscious medicine. Approach/Methods: The Social Mission Committee (SMC) is a student organization that was established in 2019, to stand as 1 of 4 pillar student organizations at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 3 In partnership with school administration, 6 areas of focus were created into subcommittees to guide action: education, mentorship, recruitment, service, research, and evaluation. The organization functions with 2 copresidents, a director of operations, and 6 executive directors, under the guidance of 2 faculty co-advisors. Each executive director meets monthly with student organization members to work on projects that aim to improve social medicine awareness. Results: In its second full year, SMC has 129 students involved across all training levels, out of a student body of about 400 students. SMC has created 36 ongoing socially driven initiatives housed within different subcommittees. SMC has collaborated with 8 community partnerships including youth crisis groups, local prison initiatives, and refugee and immigrant support centers, and works closely with the university’s Office of Health Equity and the Meharry Vanderbilt Alliance. In addition, SMC regularly collaborates with 7 student organizations to promote diverse and social medicine-oriented events, including cultural organizations (Latino Medical Student Association, Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, and Student National Medical Association), an organization of first-generation medical students, the school’s global health organization, and the school’s student-run free clinic. SMC’s mentorship committee has recruited 33 physician mentors, ranging from specialties including Internal Medicine, Obstetrics–Gynecology, and surgical subspecialties. Since its inception, the organization has created a comprehensive, digital Student Advocacy guide focused on specific patient populations with complex psychosocial needs. The organization has incorporated various social mission-oriented topics into the curriculum, including the addition of a case-based learning case on transgender health, 2 novel sessions on structural inequities and microaggressions in a longitudinal course, and a comprehensive proposal for longitudinal race medicine education in the curriculum. Discussion: Without changes in medical school education, the next generation of physicians will be ill-equipped to deal with equity issues as underlying racial and social biases are often reinforced throughout traditional medical training. 4 The SMC is a unique, student-based organization originally created to advance the mission statement of Vanderbilt with regards to promoting training of medical students on social determinants of health, advocacy, and health equity. The organization has created a significant impact in medical education, with over one-fourth of Vanderbilt’s student body involved. The success of this organization speaks to the impact student organizations can have on furthering social medicine within medical education. While emphasis on social determinants of health remains less prioritized within many medical school curriculums, student-based initiatives such as these are a novel, low-cost approach that can greatly enhance awareness of social medicine. Significance: Incorporation of social-centered aspects of patient care into the medical student curriculum is a critical component of medical training, as social determinant of health and health disparities often drive individual and community health. The SMC is an example of a student-based organization that aims to improve these aspects within the medical school, and its effectiveness demonstrates its utility in being a framework organization for other medical schools. Acknowledgments: The authors would like to acknowledge all members of the Vanderbilt Social Mission Committee and the Executive Board, including Samuel Massion, Aisha Suara, Victoria Lawson, Jacqueline Antoun, and Xavier Bledsoe.

Addressing gender inequities: Creation of a multi-institutional consortium of women physicians in academic emergency medicine.

Gender inequity is pervasive in medicine, including emergency medicine (EM), and is well documented in workforce representation, leadership, financial compensation, and resource allocation. The reasons for gender inequities in medicine, including academic EM, are multifactorial and include disadvantageous institutional parental, family, and promotion policies; workplace environment and culture; implicit biases; and a paucity of women physician leader role models, mentors, and sponsors. To address some of the challenges of gender inequities and career advancement for women in academic EM, we established an innovative, peer-driven, multi-institutional consortium of women EM faculty employed at four distinct hospitals affiliated with one medical school. The consortium combined financial and faculty resources to execute gender-specific programs not feasible at an individual institution due to limited funding and faculty availability. The programs included leadership skill-building and negotiation seminars for consortium members. The consortium created a collaborative community designed specifically to enrich career development for women in academic EM, with a formal organizational structure to connect faculty from four hospitals under one academic institution. The objective of this report is to describe the creation of this cross-institutional consortium focused on career development, academic productivity, and networking and sharing best practices for work-life integration for academic EM women faculty. This consortium-building model could be used to enhance existing institutional career development structures for women and other physician communities in academic medicine with unique career advancement challenges.