M. Oppenheimer-Velez1, C. Sims1, H. Labiner1,2, J. McCoy1, N. Baxter3, H. Sanfey4, R. Kozar5, V. Litle6, S. Pories7 1Ohio State University,Division Of Trauma, Critical Care, And Burn, Department Of Surgery, College Of Medicine,Columbus, OH, USA 2Robert Wood Johnson – UMDNJ,Departement Of Surgery,New Brunswick, NJ, USA 3University of Melbourne,Melbourne School Of Population And Global Health,Melbourne, Australia 4Southern Illinois University School Of Medicine,Departement Of Surgery,Springfield, IL, USA 5University Of Maryland,Departement Of Surgery,Baltimore, MD, USA 6Boston Medical Center,Departement Of Surgery,Boston, MA, USA 7Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School,Departement Of Surgery,Cambridge, MA, USA
Introduction: One third of US surgical residents are women; but women occupy only 19.9% of full time faculty positions1. Mentorship has been identified as a key to career promotion and professional development. The Women in Surgery Committee (WiSC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) developed a mentoring program that matched young female faculty with more senior female surgeons for one year. We hypothesized that female senior mentorship will help junior surgeons achieve their career goals.
Methods: Pairs were based on specialty, needs basis (e.g. research, professional development, work-life balance) and geography. Over a year, each pair coordinated meetings based on individual preferences and needs. An exit survey was sent to all mentors and mentees 4-6 weeks after completion of the program. Participants were asked to rank statements about mentorship and the value of specific aspects of the WiSC mentoring program on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). Summary statistics were used to evaluate demographic data. Participants were compared based on frequency of encounters (>4 times per year vs. <4 times per year) using a Mann Whitney test with significance at p< 0.05.
Results: We identified 62 mentor-mentee pairs across 15 surgical specialties. Survey return response rate was 81%. Participants were primarily assistant professors (63%) from academic teaching hospitals (74%). Overall, participants believed mentorship programs were essential for young surgeons (4.5 ± 0.9) and that limiting the program to female surgeons only added value (4.3 ± 0.8). When compared to those who met infrequently with their mentor, more engaged mentees were more likely to perceive the program and their mentors as beneficial (4.4 ± 0.9 vs 3.3 ± 0.9, p<0.001). Specifically, more engaged mentees found the program valuable for achieving career goals (4.3 ± 0.8 vs 3.3 ± 0.8, p<0.001), developing time-management skills (4.0 ± 0.7 vs 2.8 ± 1.0. p<0.001), setting expectations (4.5 ± 0.6 vs 3.3 ± 1.0, p<0.001), providing networking opportunities (4.1 ± 1.1 vs 3.4 ± 1.0, p<0.05), and developing professional skills (3.8 ± 1.0 vs 2.7 ± 0.8, p<0.001). They were also more likely to recommend the program (4.5 ± 1.0 vs 3.7 ± 0.8, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The WiSC Mentoring Program provides a valuable opportunity for young female surgeons. Perceived benefit appears to be dependent on the level of mentoring engagement with those who meet frequently experiencing greater value.
Reference:1Aziz HD. 2018 ACS Governors Survey: Gender inequality and harassment remain a challenge in surgery. Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons. Available at: https://bulletin.facs.org/2019/09/2018-acs-governors-survey-gender-inequality-and-harassment-remain-a-challenge-in-surgery/. Accessed July 18, 2020.