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Late-Breaking Scientific Oral Presentations

Professional and Personal Development

Session: Late-Breaking Scientific Orals: The Otolaryngology Community and Systems

Mentorship in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Training Programs: A Cross-Canadian Survey

Monday, September 30, 2024
9:48 AM – 9:54 AM EDT
Location: MBCC, 222
Disclosure(s):
Jennifer A. Silver, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Tanya Chen, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Hadi R. Seikaly, MD, MA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Yvonne Chan, MD, MScHBSc:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Mentorship in surgical residency encourages a sense of belonging, provides support during challenging moments, and guides future goals. The current landscape of mentorship within Canadian otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) programs is not well known despite the growing role of mentorship in training. The goals of this study were to explore OHNS trainee and program director experience on mentorship within residency and determine the optimal format of mentorship.

Methods: Cross sectional survey study. Anonymized online questionnaires were sent to all residents and program directors of the 13 accredited OHNS residency programs across Canada from October 2022 to January 2023. The questionnaires collected qualitative and quantitative information about type of mentorship (formal versus informal) as well as personal experience and opinion on mentorship.

Results: Of residents, 57.1% (92/161) completed the survey, and 84.6% (11/13) of program directors (PDs) completed the survey. Of the respondents, 45.7% (42/92) of residents participated in formal mentorship programs and 72.8% (67/92) participated in informal mentorship programs. The PD perceived importance of formal mentorship was rated 3/5. Residents have greater satisfaction with informal mentorship relationships compared to formal mentorship (t(105) = -5.053, p < 0.001) due to a more organic initiation of relationship and personality match. The main areas for improvement of current mentorship programs included availability of mentors, networking opportunities, and protected time for encounters.

Conclusions: Informal mentorship may be more beneficial to surgical residents than formal mentorship. However, residency programs should be providing more guidance and structure to optimize mentorship opportunities and mentor selection/availability. Mentorship training or development resources for attending physicians and feedback opportunities are essential for good relationships.

    Presenting Author(s)

  • JS

    Jennifer A. Silver, MD

    Resident
    McGill University
    Montreal, QC, Canada

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Tanya Chen, MD

    Resident
    University of Toronto
    Toronto, ON, Canada

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • HS

    Hadi R. Seikaly, MD, MA

    Professor
    University of Alberta
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

  • LN

    Lily H. P Nguyen, MDCM, MSc, MHPE

    Associate Professor
    McGill University Health Centre - Montreal, QC
    Montreal, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Senior Author(s)

  • LN

    Lily H. P Nguyen, MDCM, MSc, MHPE

    Associate Professor
    McGill University Health Centre - Montreal, QC
    Montreal, United States

    Disclosure information not submitted.

    • Co-Author(s)

  • Yvonne Chan, MD, MScHBSc

    Associate Professor
    University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto
    Toronto, ON, Canada

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Yvonne Chan, MD, MScHBSc

    Associate Professor
    University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto
    Toronto, ON, Canada

    Disclosure(s):

    faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.