Effectiveness of a Formal Mentorship Program in Family Medicine Residency: The Residents’ Perspective

Abstract

Introduction. Mentoring is a recognized form of teaching learning strategy in postgraduate medical education. This paper describes the effectiveness of a formal mentorship program from the residents' perspective after a year of implementation.Methods. The Aga Khan University Family Medicine Residency Program is the first program in Pakistan to our knowledge to implement formal mentorship for all four years of residency. A mentorship program was developed, implemented, and evaluated a year later using a rating scale. The 10-point Likert scale consisted of questions on academics, clinical work, research, administrative issues, and personal/social issues. Results. The response rate was 95% ( = 20). Eighty percent ( = 16) were women. Satisfaction level in seeking help was the highest for academics (75%). Residents scored mentorship as low in helping to tackle their personal problems (20%). Barriers reported in rapport building with mentor were time constraints and gender difference. The most useful attributes of the mentor which helped rapport building were accessibility, active listening, support for emotional needs, and trustworthiness. Conclusion. Mentoring has a role in trainees' personal and professional growth especially when their needs are addressed. The effectiveness of the mentorship program in residency can improve if the residents are allowed to choose their own mentors.

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“…Grad and others tried a modifiable toolkit to enhance the advising process for residents in many disciplines and received a significant improvement in resident satisfaction from 2006 to 2009 at Duke University. 11,13 Generalization might be a genuine challenge. Instead, individualizing the tasks and curriculum of mentorship to the comfort level of the assigned mentor and mentee can be the golden solution to most of the noted obstacles.…”