*Learning Objectives:

1. Communicate importance of mentorship in diverse radiology recruitment and retention.

2. Learn rationale and approach to facilitating faculty-resident mentor relationships.

3. Understand advantages and potential challenges to implementing a mentorship program.

*Content Description: Mentorship has been identified as a priority for medical trainees, and numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between mentoring and productivity. We identified mentorship as an essential domain for improvement at our institution, and developed a formalized, resident-driven program to address this gap. We piloted our program with our 17 first-year residents and administered pre-enrollment surveys to develop personalized pairings based on the residents’ personalities, backgrounds, and interests. This data indicated that nearly 90% of the residents were “very interested” in participating in a mentorship program, and over 40% expressed interest in pursuing a career in academic radiology. We have focused on creating a self-sustaining, low-maintenance network of individualized mentoring pairs with an emphasis on subspecialty interest, work-life balance, research, and desired clinical and institutional roles. Additionally, we have leveraged the wisdom and experience of this cohort of attending mentors through facilitation of joint activities such as panels and dinners, to ultimately augment the benefits of each individual pair’s participation. By employing validated feedback instruments tailored to evaluate the integrity of mentor-mentee relationships, we assessed three evidence-based categories: professional development, role modeling, and psychosocial wellness, both from the perspectives of the mentees as well as from their mentors. We have created a sustainable and data-supported model of mentorship that reinforces resident autonomy, professional networking and development, and personalized support.

Lina Elsamaloty

University of Pennsylvania

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