Mentorship Effectiveness in Cardiothoracic Surgical Training

Background: Mentoring is an essential component of cardiothoracic surgery training, yet trainees report varied experiences despite substantial efforts to enhance mentorship opportunities. This study aimed to evaluate mentorship effectiveness and identify gaps in mentorship education. Methods: A survey was distributed to cardiothoracic surgical trainees in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited programs (n = 531). Responses to 16 questions concerning trainee experiences, expectations, and perspectives on mentorship were collected. An 11-component mentorship effectiveness tool generated a composite score (0 to 55), with a score of 44 or lower indicating less effective mentorship. Results: Sixty-seven residents completed the survey (12.6%), with most (83.6%) reporting a current mentor. Trainees with mentors cited “easy to work with and approachable” (44 of 58; 75.9%) as the major criterion for mentor selection, whereas trainees without a mentor reported an inability to identify one who truly reflected the resident's needs (6 of 11; 45.5%). Resident age, gender, race or ethnicity, marital status, family status, postgraduate year, and training program type or size were not associated with having a mentor (P = .15 to .73). The median mentorship effectiveness score was 51 (interquartile range, 44, 55). More than one-third of residents (25 of 67) had either no mentor (n = 6) or less effective mentorship (n = 16), or both (n = 3). Resident and program characteristics were not associated with mentorship effectiveness (P = .39 to .99). Finally, 61.2% of residents had not received education on effective mentorship, and 53.8% did not currently serve as a mentor. Conclusions: Many resident respondents have either no mentor or less effective mentorship, and most reported not having received education on mentorship. Addressing these gaps in mentorship training and delivery should be prioritized.