A prospective cohort study on the role of surgical mentorship on medical students' surgical experience and attitudes towards surgery

Abstract Background Exposure to surgery during medical school is limited (1, 2). We ran a mentorship scheme pairing students at a medical school with local surgeons to improve undergraduate insight. We evaluated the effectiveness of mentorship in increasing surgical exposure and drivers for students seeking surgical mentorship. Methods 35 surgeons across 7 specialties were recruited and matched with 37 students in years 2–4 for 7 months. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation was done with pre-, mid- and post-scheme questionnaires. Students rated confidence across pursuing a career in surgery, surgical exposure, career insight, understanding the application process, contacts, portfolio development, research knowledge and pursuing extra-curricular activities related to surgery using a 5-point Likert scale. Paired t-tests were performed to measure students’ confidence before and after the scheme. Results Of students that completed all 3 questionnaires (n = 21), conducting research/audit was most frequently selected as a main goal (81%), followed by theatre experience (67%) and career progression support (29%). The number of students that had assisted in theatre increased by 50%. Confidence ratings across all domains increased with 7/8 (88%) exhibiting a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05). The greatest improvement was seen in having adequate contacts in surgery from 2.05 to 3.33 (p = 0.00). 95.2% would recommend the scheme. Conclusions Students seek mentorship to develop their clinical and academic skills. Students gained significantly more surgical experience and were better equipped with the knowledge required to pursue a surgical career. Mentorship schemes are invaluable in supplementing the undergraduate curriculum and empowering students. Trial registration Ethical clearance granted by King’s College London Research Ethics Committee, Reference Number MRSU-22/23-34530