The Radiation Oncology Mentorship Initiative: Analysis of a Formal Mentoring Initiative for Medical Students Interested in Radiation Oncology

The importance of mentorship in medicine and its impact on academic and professional development has been widely studied. However, mentorship for medical students in the field of radiation oncology is limited. Our radiation oncology department developed a formal medical student mentorship program in 2004. This program included both clinical and research mentoring pathways. Our study aims to gain feedback and perspective from former medical student participants who subsequently entered into a radiation oncology residency program. An anonymous survey was sent to 22 former students in the mentorship program from 2005 to 2016 who entered a radiation oncology residency program. The survey included Likert scales (1–5), multiple choice, strength category rankings, and free responses. Data was compiled and analyzed with Qualtrics data software. The survey response rate was 100%. Seventeen (77.3%) participants reported that the mentorship program strongly affected their career choice and a majority reported that their research experience strongly (45.5%) or moderately affected (31.8%) their career choice. Fourteen (63.6%) respondents reported that the mentorship program was very effective and 8 (36.4%) reported it as being effective. Eighteen (81.8%) respondents reported that mentorship was extremely important to their career. Students participating in the research pathway also reported improvement in valuable skills such as presentations, abstract writing, manuscript writing, statistical analysis, and coordination with colleagues. A total of 66.7% of attending radiation oncologists who previously participated in this program now practice in an academic setting. Our institution successfully developed a formalized mentorship program for medical students interested in radiation oncology. Participants in this program reported high levels of satisfaction and emphasized the importance of mentorship in the development of valuable research competencies and on their overall career path. This program can serve as a model for future mentorship initiative in medical school.