Surgery Acting Internship Individual Learning Plans: Fostering Mentorship in the COVID-19 Era

OBJECTIVE: Mentorship facilitates successful matching for surgical specialties. A formal mentorship plan may counteract restricted mentorship opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: We surveyed medical students applying to surgery specialties who participated in our formalized mentorship program (M(F)) and those of a prior cohort who were informally mentored (M(I)). Epistemic Network Analysis was used to model qualitative responses. SETTING: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. PARTICIPANTS: Fourth-year medical students who matched into ACGME-accredited surgical specialties. RESULTS: M(F) students (n = 12) met with their mentors more frequently than M(I) students (n = 13; p = 0.03). Both groups received career guidance, letters of recommendation and application preparation. However, the M(I) cohort reported greater psychological and emotional support whereas the M(F) cohort reported more assistance with skills development. CONCLUSIONS: A formalized mentorship program fostered successful mentoring relationships despite limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic.