Standing in Unity Amidst Change: A Group Mentorship Model that Addresses the Logistical and Emotional Needs of Applicants for Surgical Residency

Abstract

Objective: For medical students, applying to general surgery residency is a complex and multifactorial process that can be fraught with significant challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic generated additional uncertainty and distress for applicants given the temporary suspension of in-person clinical rotations and transition to virtual residency interviews. However, despite the significant changes introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, our group mentorship model - originally developed to address the emotional and logistical needs of applicants - withstood national shifts in medical education. In this manuscript, we detail the rationale and design of our group mentorship model for fourth-year medical students with the hopes that other programs may implement our current resources and acquire insight from the lessons we learned amidst responding to the changing climate in surgical education.

Design: Implementation of a longitudinal program utilizing a group mentorship model to provide students with emotional and logistical support during the residency application process.

Setting: This program was implemented at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Participants: Fourth-year medical students that are applying to general surgery residency.

Results: The program consisted of 11 sessions, ranging from 1-2 hours in duration, and approximately 14-17 students participated in the program per year. The program was led by a mentor panel that consisted of a faculty advisor, resident physicians, and appointed student liaisons.

Conclusions: Group mentorship is a unique model that allows for multidirectional dissemination of advice and experiences amidst student participants and mentors. In times of shifts in medical education, the diverse mentor panel allows for the development of strategies to address unanticipated challenges encountered during the application process.

Keywords: COVID-19; Professionalism; mentorship; residency application; students; surgical education.