Mentoring Sideways-A Model of Resident-to-Resident Research Mentorship

Abstract

The traditional apprenticeship model of research mentorship, where residents pursue research projects directed by attending surgeons, may be ill-suited to optimize research innovation, productivity, and leadership experience. This is particularly true in an era of ever mounting demands of academic attending surgeons, easier availability of powerful clinical databases, and more residents beginning training with prior research experience and advanced degrees. To help makeup the gaps of traditional research mentorship, we propose a complementary peer-focused, "sideways mentorship" approach. This model revolves around a consortium of residents who develop their own research ideas, and obtain feedback and technical input from fellow residents. Such a model provides trainees more opportunities to explore their own ideas, become exposed to a wider range of disciplines, share technical knowledge and prior experience, and practice being mentors themselves. We believe sideways mentoring model can be successful in this changing research era, and is a valuable addition to the traditional research model and encourage educational programs to support efforts in establishing resident-run research collaborative.