Elsevier

Journal of Surgical Education

Volume 79, Issue 4, July–August 2022, Pages 918-927
Journal of Surgical Education

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

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.02.012Get rights and content

OBJECTIVE

Mentorship facilitates successful matching for surgical specialties. A formal mentorship plan may counteract restricted mentorship opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

We 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.

SETTING

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourth-year medical students who matched into ACGME-accredited surgical specialties.

RESULTS

MF 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.

CONCLUSIONS

A formalized mentorship program fostered successful mentoring relationships despite limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic.

KEY WORDS

Epistemic Network Analysis
individual learning plans
medical education
mentorship

Competencies

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Professionalism

Cited by (0)

Meeting presentation: Association for Surgical Education Podium Presentation, Virtual (April 2021).

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