Mentorship in surgical training: Where do we stand?

Mentorship in medicine aims at professional and personal development of trainees in the early stages of their careers. It is more popular in surgical subspecialties since transfer of technical skills is an integral part of surgical training, which makes it distinct compared to other specialties. Effective mentoring in surgery plays a crucial role in academic success, professional development, career guidance and personal growth of residents, and provides guidance and support to mentees to excel in their respective fields, and increases the likelihood of success by enhancing motivation with positive impact on burnout among residents. Efforts have been made by accreditation bodies around the world to implement formal mentorship in residency programmes. Unfortunately, there is lack of formal mentorship at the level of postgraduate medical education in Pakistan, and the evidence to identify potential obstacles is scarce from this part of the world.