General surgical trainee experiences of mentoring: a UK regional audit

Laparoscopic training workshop to assess medical students' skill acquisition and interest in surgical careers

BACKGROUND

With its minimally invasive approach, laparoscopic surgery has transformed the medical landscape. As the demand for these procedures escalates, there is a pressing need for adept surgeons trained in laparoscopic techniques. However, current training often falls short of catering to medical school education. This study evaluates the impact of a custom-designed laparoscopic training workshop on medical students' surgical skills and career aspirations.

METHODS

This prospective experimental study was conducted at the E-Da hospital in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Medical students from Taiwanese medical schools undergoing Clerk 5, Clerk 6, and Postgraduate Year 1 and 2 were invited to participate. Medical students (n = 44) underwent an endoscopic skill training workshop consisting of lectures, box training, and live tissue training. The trainees performed multiple tasks before and after training using our objective evaluation system. The primary outcome was assessed before and after training through a questionnaire assessing the influence of training on students' interest in surgery as a career. The secondary outcome measured improvement in skill acquisition, comparing the task completion time pre- and post-workshop. For the primary outcome, descriptive statistics were used to summarize the questionnaire responses, and paired t-tests were performed to determine significant changes in interest levels post-workshop. For the secondary outcome, paired t-tests were used to compare the time recorded pre- and post-training.

RESULTS

Post-training, participants exhibited significant proficiency gains, with task completion times reducing notably: 97 s (p = 0.0015) for Precision Beads Placement, 88.5 s (p < 0.0001) for Beads Transfer Exercise, 95 s (p < 0.0001) for Precision Balloon Cutting, and 137.8 s (p < 0.0001) for Intracorporeal Suture. The primary outcome showcased an increased mean score from 8.15 pre-workshop to 9.3 post-workshop, indicating a bolstered interest in surgery as a career. Additionally, post-training sentiment analysis underscored a predominant inclination toward surgery among 88% of participants.

CONCLUSION

The custom-designed laparoscopic workshop significantly improved technical skills and positively influenced students' career aspirations toward surgery. Such hands-on training workshops can play a crucial role in medical education, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills and potentially shaping the future of budding medical professionals.

Promoting padawans: a survey examining the state of mentorship in neurosurgical training in the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND

Mentorship has long since been acknowledged as an integral part of Neurosurgical training. The authors sought to evaluate the state of mentorship in Neurosurgical training in the United Kingdom (UK).

METHODS

A 28-point questionnaire was sent to all neurosurgical trainees in the UK and Ireland via the British Neurosurgical Trainee's Association (BNTA), comprising 180 trainees.

RESULTS

There were 75 responses (180 trainees on the mailing list, 42% response rate). Despite all respondents reporting it to be at least somewhat important to have a mentor, 16% felt they had no mentors. The mean number of mentors was 2.91 with 72% of respondents having more than 1 mentor. In terms of the content of mentorship relationships, 63% were comfortable discussing career related topics with their mentor to a high or very high degree but only 29% felt comfortable discussing their general wellbeing. With regards to allocated educational supervisors, 43% thought this person to be a 'low' or 'very low' source of mentorship. The three most important traits of the ideal mentor as reported by respondents were: someone chosen by them (48%), working in the same hospital (44%) and having received formal mentorship training (36%).

CONCLUSIONS

The current perception of mentorship in Neurosurgery from the surveyed trainees is mixed. A healthy majority of trainees benefit from mentorship of some kind, whilst a significant minority feel underserved. The surveyed trainees feel mentorship is slanted more towards clinical and professional aspects of development than it is towards personal ones. Suggestions for future insight would be an evaluation of senior registrar and consultant sentiments towards mentorship, whilst exploration into more flexible models for establishing mentoring relationships may help to address the heavy importance of trainee choice which is voiced by this survey's results.

Participant expectations in a national otolaryngology mentorship programme

OBJECTIVE

Mentoring within surgery is increasingly recognised as a powerful development tool, but participant expectations have not previously been explored. This study aimed to explore and analyse participant expectations from the UK's first national otolaryngology mentorship programme.

METHOD

Participants completed open-ended questionnaires. Responses were qualitatively analysed using a grounded theory approach. Iterative cycles were used to develop codes using a constant comparison technique. Emerging categories were refined to identify core themes.

RESULTS

Key mentee expectations were career, and clinical and academic guidance. Enhancing networking opportunities was highlighted by medical students and junior trainees. Psychosocial and lifestyle support were predominant themes for all trainees. Receiving impartial advice and guidance from outside their training region was expressed only by senior trainees. Mentor expectations aligned with those of mentees.

CONCLUSION

This study identified key areas of the 'hidden curriculum' for students and trainees in otolaryngology, showing the evolving expectations and priorities as they progress through training.

Factors that impact burnout and psychological wellbeing in Australian postgraduate medical trainees: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

The stressful nature of medical training and other work-related factors put postgraduate medical trainees at high risk of burnout and poor psychological wellbeing. This has negative implications for patient care and the effectiveness of the healthcare system. The structure of the healthcare system and postgraduate medical education in Australia is different to that of other countries. Whilst a significant body of research exists on burnout and wellbeing in trainees in the USA, evidence specific to Australian trainees is lacking. The aim of this review is to synthesise the current knowledge on the factors that impact burnout and psychological wellbeing in Australian postgraduate medical trainees.

METHODS/DESIGN

A systematic review will be conducted across eight digital databases: Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PsychInfo, Scopus, CINAHL Plus and Informit Health Collection. Peer reviewed empirical studies and relevant grey literature published after 2000 that address an aspect of burnout or psychological wellbeing in Australian postgraduate medical trainees will be included. Two reviewers will independently review each article against the inclusion and exclusion criteria, with disagreements resolved via discussion and consensus. Data will be extracted using a standard form and quality will be assessed using the assessment tools available from the Joanna Briggs Institute. A thematic narrative synthesis of the studies will be presented, along with an assessment of current gaps in the literature and areas for future research.

DISCUSSION

This review will be the first to integrate the evidence on burnout and psychological wellbeing specific to Australian postgraduate medical trainees. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the factors that impact burnout and psychological wellbeing in this population and will lay the foundation for future research into appropriate strategic interventions.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

This protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42020203195 ).

Structuring Mentoring in Medicine and Surgery. A Systematic Scoping Review of Mentoring Programs Between 2000 and 2019

INTRODUCTION

Evidence of novice mentoring's successes in having senior clinicians support junior doctors and/or medical students in their clinical, academic, and research goals has spurred efforts to include mentoring in the core medical curriculum. However, lack of effective structuring threatens the viability of mentoring programs, precipitating ethical concerns about mentoring. This review aims to answer the question "what is known about mentoring structures in novice mentoring among medical students and junior doctors in medicine and surgery postings?," which will guide the design of a consistent structure to novice mentoring.

METHODS

Levac (2010)'s framework was used to guide this systematic scoping review of mentoring programs in medicine and surgery published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2019 in PubMed, ScienceDirect, ERIC, Embase, Scopus, Mednar, and OpenGrey. A "split approach" involving concurrent independent use of a directed content analysis and thematic approach was used to analyze included articles.

RESULTS

Three thousand three hundred ninety-five abstracts were identified. There was concordance between the 3 themes and categories identified in analyzing the 71 included articles. These were the host organization, mentoring stages, and evaluations.

CONCLUSION

The data reveal the need for balance between ensuring consistency and flexibility to meet the individual needs of stakeholders throughout the stages of the mentoring process. The Generic Mentoring Framework provides a structured approach to "balancing" flexibility and consistency in mentoring processes. The Generic Mentoring Framework is reliant upon appropriate, holistic, and longitudinal assessments of the mentoring process to guide adaptations to mentoring processes and ensure effective support and oversight of the program.

A Systematic Scoping Review of Ethical Issues in Mentoring in Surgery

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is crucial to the growth and development of mentors, mentees, and host organisations. Yet, the process of mentoring in surgery is poorly understood and increasingly mired in ethical concerns that compromise the quality of mentorship and prevent mentors, mentees, and host organisations from maximising its full potential. A systematic scoping review was undertaken to map the ethical issues in surgical mentoring to enhance understanding, assessment, and guidance on ethical conduct.

METHODS

Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework was used to guide a systematic scoping review involving articles published between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2018 in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Mednar, and OpenGrey databases. Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach was adopted to compare ethical issues in surgical mentoring across different settings, mentee and mentor populations, and host organisations.

RESULTS

A total of 3849 abstracts were identified, 464 full-text articles were retrieved, and 50 articles were included. The 3 themes concerned ethical lapses at the levels of mentor or mentee, mentoring relationships, and host organisation.

CONCLUSIONS

Mentoring abuse in surgery involves lapses in conduct, understanding of roles and responsibilities, poor alignment of expectations, and a lack of clear standards of practice. It is only with better structuring of mentoring processes and effective support of host organisation tasked with providing timely, longitudinal, and holistic assessment and oversight will surgical mentoring overcome prevailing ethical concerns surrounding it.

National survey of mentorship in Canadian general surgery residency programs: Where are we and what do we need?

BACKGROUND

The benefits of mentorship on residents are well established. The current state of mentorship in General Surgery (GS) residency programs in Canada is unknown. The objectives of this study were to obtain GS residents' and program directors' (PD) perspectives on resident mentorship.

STUDY DESIGN

An electronic survey was developed and distributed to all 601 GS residents in Canada. All 17 PDs were invited for telephone interviews.

RESULTS

A total of 179 of the 601 residents responded. Ninety-seven percent (n=173) felt mentorship was important. Only 67% (n=116) identified a mentor and only 53% (n=62) reported a mentorship program. Most who identified a mentor (n=87/110, 79%) were satisfied with the mentorship received. Significant variations in mentorship existed between demographic subgroups and mentorship program types. Overall, residents (n=121, 74%) favoured having a required mentorship program.A total of 11 out of 17 PDs participated in the telephone interviews. The majority of PDs (n=9, 82%) were satisfied with current resident mentorship but most acknowledged that barriers exist (n=8, 73%).

CONCLUSION

GS programs in Canada should ensure they are providing equal opportunities for mentorship across demographic subgroups. Programs are encouraged to examine both their program's and their residents' needs as well as local barriers to improve mentorship.

Mentorship in surgical training: current status and a needs assessment for future mentoring programs in surgery

Aims

Mentoring has been used extensively in the business world to enhance performance and maximise potential. Despite this, there is currently a paucity of literature describing mentoring for surgical trainees. This study examined the current extent of mentoring and investigated future needs to support this.

Methods

An electronic, 47-item, self-administered questionnaire survey was distributed via national and regional surgical mailing lists and websites through the Association of Surgeons in Training and Specialty Associations in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Results

Overall, 565 fully completed responses were received from trainees in all specialties, grades and training regions. A total of 48.7 % of respondents reported that they have a surgical mentor, with no significant gender difference (p = 0.65). Of respondents, 52.5 % considered their educational supervisor and 45.5 % their current consultant as mentors. Modal duration of mentoring relationships was 1–2 years (24.4 %). A total of 90.2 % of mentors were in the same specialty, 60.7 % in the same hospital, and 88.7 % in the same training region. Mentors covered clinical and professional matters (99.3 %) versus pastoral and non-clinical matters (41.1 %). Mentoring was commonly face to face or via email and not documented (64.7 %). Of the 51.3 % without a mentor, 89.7 % would like a clinical mentor and 51.0 % a pastoral mentor (p < 0.001). Priority mentoring areas included career progression (94.9 %), research (75.2 %), clinical skills (66.9 %) and clinical confidence (58.4 %). A total of 94.3 % would be willing to act as a peer mentor. Only 8.7 % had received mentoring training; 83 % wish to undertake this.

Conclusions

Less than half of surgical trainees identified a mentor. The majority want mentoring on professional topics during their training and would additionally be willing to peer-mentor colleagues, although few have received training for this. Despite an identified need, there is currently no structure for organising this and little national provision for mentoring.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00268-014-2774-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Medical student experience in surgery influences their career choices: a systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVES

Student experiences during surgical rotations may dictate interest in future surgical careers. The objective of this study was to systematically examine the effect of surgical experience (SE) on student attitudes toward surgical careers and also to identify variables influencing the educational value of SE.

METHODS

A systematic review of the available literature was conducted by 2 independent researchers searching Medline, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses recommendations. Studies assessing SE during the students' surgical rotations were identified. The quality of the included studies was assessed using a validated quality index. Factors affecting student surgical rotation experience and perceptions of surgical careers were recorded.

RESULTS

Overall, 204 studies were identified; 20 unique studies met the inclusion criteria with a median cohort size of 169 (interquartile range: 107-262) respondents. Most were cross-sectional surveys (n = 16/20) and administered to clinical students (n = 16/20). All studies investigating the effect of SE on career choices (n = 8) found that positive experiences during the surgical placement were associated with an increased interest in surgical careers. The operating theater experience was identified as a defining feature of overall SE. Involvement in operative procedures, a welcoming environment, and avoidance of syncopal events positively influenced the SE, particularly in those who actively sought educational opportunities. Study limitations included single-center and single-year cohort designs (70%) with the use of nonvalidated research tools (95%).

CONCLUSIONS

A systematic review of the literature highlights a number of factors associated with a positive surgical rotation, which may lead to more students deciding to pursue a career in surgery. Understanding the factors that contribute to these decisions through multicenter studies using validated research tools may lead to more effective surgical rotations, ultimately improving the delivery of the surgical education.

Surgical Trainee Opinions in the United Kingdom Regarding a Three-Dimensional Virtual Mentoring Environment (MentorSL) in Second Life: Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Medical mentoring is becoming increasingly complex with the evolving needs of trainees and the complexities of their personal and social lives. The Internet is an enabling technology, which increasingly facilitates interaction with multiple people at a distance. Web 2.0 and 3.0 technology shows promise in furthering this facilitation.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to establish opinions among doctors in postgraduate surgical training regarding mentoring and whether these doctors would readily accept virtual mentoring following a brief experience.

METHODS

On the 12th of February 2012, an introductory teaching class was arranged by The London Postgraduate School of Surgery for doctors in training. Participants were introduced to a novel virtual mentoring system and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their opinions before and after the demonstration.

RESULTS

A total of 57 junior doctors attended. Among them, 35 completed questionnaires pre- and postdemonstration. Regarding usefulness of a 3D virtual environment for mentoring, 6/35 (17%) agreed or strongly agreed and 20/35 (57%) were unsure prior to the session. Following 20 minutes using MentorSL, this significantly increased to 14/35 (40%) agreeing or strongly agreeing with 11/35 (31%) unsure (P<.001). Prior to using MentorSL, regarding usefulness of voice communication for virtual mentoring, 11/35 (31%) agreed or strongly agreed and 18/35 (51%) were unsure. Following 20 minutes using MentorSL, 19/35 (54%) agreed or strongly agreed and 10/35 (29%) were unsure of usefulness. Regarding ease of use of navigation, search mentor, meeting scheduling, and voice communication features, 17/35 (49%), 13/35 (37%), 15/35 (43%), and 16/35 (46%) participants agreed or strongly agreed, respectively. Regarding usefulness of telementoring, 24/35 (69%) agreed or strongly agreed, increasing to 28/35 (80%) following the introduction. For usefulness of multiple mentors, initially 24/35 (69%) agreed or strongly agreed increasing to 29/35 (83%). For overall satisfaction, 30/35 (86%) reported good or adequate and 19/35 (54%) agreed or strongly agreed with using the system again.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that a short introduction on how to use virtual systems may result in significant participation and use of virtual mentoring systems.

Basic surgical training in Ireland: the impact of operative experience, training program allocation and mentorship on trainee satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Application to the Irish basic surgical training (BST) program in Ireland has decreased progressively over the past 5 years. We hypothesised that this decline was secondary to dissatisfaction with training correlated with reduced operative experience and lack of mentorship among BSTs.

METHODS

An anonymous 15 question electronic survey was circulated to all BSTs appraising their impression of the operative experience available to them, their mentorship and their opinions of critical aspects of training.

RESULTS

Fifty trainees responded to the survey. At the commencement of training 98 % (n = 43) intended to stay in surgery, decreasing to 79 % (n = 34) during the BST. Trainees who felt they had a mentor were three times more likely to be content in surgical training (OR 3.11; 95 % CI 0.94-10.25, P = 0.06). Trainees satisfied with their allocated rotation were more likely to be content in surgical training (OR 4.5; 95 % CI 1.03-19.6, P = 0.045). Individual trainee comments revealed dissatisfaction with operative exposure.

CONCLUSION

Mentorship and satisfaction with allocated training rotation had a positive impact on trainee satisfaction and correlated with contentedness in surgical training. Operative experience is the main element that trainees report as lacking. This highlights the need for reform of the training system to improve current levels of mentorship and increase operative exposure to enhance its attractiveness to the best quality medical graduates.

Medical mentoring via the evolving world wide web

OBJECTIVES

Mentoring, for physicians and surgeons in training, is advocated as an essential adjunct in work-based learning, providing support in career and non-career related issues. The World Wide Web (WWW) has evolved, as a technology, to become more interactive and person centric, tailoring itself to the individual needs of the user. This changing technology may open new avenues to foster mentoring in medicine. DESIGN, SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A search of the MEDLINE database from 1950 to 2012 using the PubMed interface, combined with manual cross-referencing was performed using the following strategy: ("mentors"[MeSH Terms] OR "mentors"[All Fields] OR "mentor"[All Fields]) AND ("internet"[MeSH Terms] OR "internet"[All Fields]) AND ("medicine"[MeSH Terms] OR "medicine"[All Fields]) AND ("humans"[MeSH Terms] AND English[lang]). Abstracts were screened for relevance (UJ) to the topic; eligibility for inclusion was simply on screening for relevance to online mentoring and web-based technologies.

RESULTS

Forty-five papers were found, of which 16 were relevant. All studies were observational in nature. To date, all medical mentoring applications utilizing the World Wide Web have enjoyed some success limited by Web 1.0 and 2.0 technologies.

CONCLUSIONS

With the evolution of the WWW through 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 generations, the potential for meaningful tele- and distance mentoring has greatly improved. Some engagement has been made with these technological advancements, however further work is required to fully realize the potential of these technologies.

Surgical mentors and role models: prevalence, importance and associated traits

BACKGROUND

Role models and mentors play an important part in attracting undergraduates into various medical specialties. However, little is known about the part played by role models and mentors in the context of surgery. The aim of this survey was to elucidate medical students' and surgical trainees' experiences of role models and to determine how mentoring works in practice. We also set out to identify traits associated with successful role models and mentors.

METHODS

A questionnaire was distributed to senior undergraduate medical students in 1 medical school, and postgraduate surgical trainees (members of the Association of Surgeons in Training (ASIT) in the UK and Ireland. The survey included questions about the availability of mentors and role models and explored mentorship process.

RESULTS

A total of 163 medical students and 216 surgical trainees completed the questionnaire. While most medical students did not have a mentor, 52% (n = 104) of trainees reported having a surgical mentor. In both cases, mentoring was ill-structured and informal. While most medical students expressed a preference for a formal mentoring program, only 38% of surgical trainees expressed a preference for a more formal approach. Experiences of negative surgical role models were a pervasive feature for both medical student and surgical trainee respondents.

DISCUSSION

This survey highlights a lack of a deliberate approach to mentoring in surgery and the presence of an excess of negative role models. It is, therefore, time for surgeons to pay much more attention to their roles as professional exemplars and mentors.

Role models and mentors in surgery

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have highlighted the importance of positive role models and mentors in influencing medical students' ultimate career decisions. This article sought to review the relevant literature in relation to mentors and role models in surgery.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive PubMed search of the literature on the subject of role models and mentors was performed using the following keywords: "Mentors," "Mentorship," and "Role Models" alone and in conjunction with the words "medicine" and "surgery."

CONCLUSIONS

This article defines the terms role model and mentor and highlights the differences between these. It identifies the importance of early intervention in medical students' careers by surgeons and the possibility of junior doctors acting as mentors. Formal mentoring programs appear to be associated with greater satisfaction among surgical trainees regarding mentorship. In addition, this review serves to show the potential approaches to developing mentorship and role models in surgery.

Peer-mentoring junior surgical trainees in the United Kingdom: a pilot program

BACKGROUND

Peer-mentoring has attracted substantial interest in various healthcare professions, but has not been formally integrated into postgraduate surgical training. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a peer-mentor scheme among junior surgical trainees in the United Kingdom.

METHOD

Trainees entering the first year of core surgical training (CST) in a single postgraduate school of surgery were allocated a mentor in the second year of CST. Allocation was based on location of the initial clinical placement. An anonymised questionnaire regarding the mentorship scheme was sent to all participants in the third month following its introduction.

RESULTS

18 trainees participated in the scheme, of whom 12 (67%) responded to the questionnaire. All respondents had made contact with their allocated mentor or mentee, and no trainees had opted out of the scheme. Areas in which the mentees received guidance included examinations (83%), CV development (67%), and workplace-based assessments (67%). All respondents felt that the mentor scheme was a good addition to CST. Suggestions for improvement of the scheme included introduction of structured meetings and greater engagement with allocated mentors.

CONCLUSIONS

A pilot peer-mentoring scheme was well received by junior surgical trainees. Consideration should be given to expansion of this scheme and more rigorous assessment of its value.

Mentorship in surgical training: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This review systematically examines the literature regarding mentor-mentee relationships in surgery.

BACKGROUND

The usefulness of mentorship in surgical training has been expressed in many articles. However, to date, there has been no systematic review on mentoring surgical trainees. This surgical environment is different from other areas of medicine and requires young surgeons to learn skills not readily available from textbooks. Instead, mentors are a valuable mode of transferring this knowledge to the next generation of surgeons. Thus, mentorship is a worthy area of research and attention.

METHODS

We identified all articles discussing mentorship in surgery between January 1985 and August 2010 using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge. Predetermined exclusion and inclusion criteria were used to screen articles by title, abstract, and full text in sequence. We extracted the relevant data, and then analyzed the prevalence of major surgical mentoring themes in the literature.

RESULTS

Of the 1,091 unique articles found during our original literature search, 38 were selected for review. The majority (68%) were commentary/editorial articles. The most discussed themes include the desirable qualities of a surgical mentor, the structure of mentor-mentee relationships, and advice for overcoming barriers to mentoring. Much less discussed themes include the desirable traits in a mentee and the appreciation of generational and cultural differences in mentorship.

CONCLUSIONS

Several barriers to effective surgical mentoring were identified, such as time constraints and a lack of female mentors. By focusing on the positive traits found in this review, for example, developing formal programs to alleviate time constraints, these barriers can be overcome and effective mentor-mentee relationships can be built. Many articles draw attention to the dying art of mentorship in surgical training programs, and currently, the literature on mentorship in surgery is somewhat scarce. These concerns should serve as motivation to revive mentorship in surgery education and to expand the literature regarding underexplored themes and overcoming the current barriers. Although mentorship may not always take on a structured form, it should not be treated casually because proper mentorship is the foundation for training quality surgeons.

A framework to establish a mentoring programme in surgery

INTRODUCTION

Mentoring programmes help to facilitate the process of continuous professional development in surgery, providing an organizational structure around a mentor-mentee relationship which helps to develop the mentee. The lack of guidelines outlining how to set up such mentoring programmes, the fragmented inter-relationships of existing schemes and the lack of a unified strategy for their implementation are obstacles to the creation of such initiatives within many surgical departments.

METHODS

We draw upon previous research, the experiences of certain authors and our own reflections to identify the key features of a surgical mentoring programme.

RESULTS

We propose a ten step process which aims to encourage the development of formalised mentoring programmes in surgery.

CONCLUSION

This outline may improve the delivery and effectiveness of mentoring programmes, which may ultimately enhance surgical training and hence quality of patient care.