P063: CCFP(EM) mentorship improvement study: highlighting the successes and challenges at one academic centre

Abstract

Introduction: The Canadian College of Family Medicine Emergency Medicine Program (CCFP-EM) program is a 1-year enhanced skills program available to family medicine graduates interested in emergency medicine. Strong mentorship relationships were thought to assist residents with navigating the challenges of this program. Over the past 4 years, the CCFP-EM program at one academic centre initiated a novel mentorship program that matches residents with staff physicians in three areas of mentorship: clinical, research, and personal. This study aimed to determine the program success and areas for improvement. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study through an online survey distributed to all CCFP-EM residents and staff mentors from July 2015 to June 2019. Surveys included questions on the degree of satisfaction with the mentorship program, perceptions on the mentor/mentee experience, and areas for improvement. We asked staff and residents to rate their level of satisfaction with each mentorship component. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze satisfaction levels. Open-ended responses were analyzed for common themes. Results: 51.3% (19/37) of residents and 63.6% (35/55) of staff participated. For clinical mentorship, 68.5% of residents and 96.0% of staff rated the program as satisfactory/outstanding. For research mentorship, 73.7% of residents and 76.5% of staff rated the program as satisfactory/outstanding. The personal mentorship program was rated satisfactory/outstanding by 72.2% of residents and 95.3% of staff. Analysis for common themes revealed that continuity of support, development of autonomy, and opportunity for direct teaching were the main areas valued by residents. However, scheduling, teaching time, and mentor-mentee compatibility were the main challenges for residents. For mentors, scheduling was a main barrier to clinical mentorship, time constraint and resident commitment were the barriers to research mentorship, and resident engagement was the main barrier to personal mentorship. When asked which component(s) of mentorship should be continued for future residents, “personal mentorship only” was the most popular choice for staff (37.1%), while “mentorship in all three areas” was the most popular choice for residents (47.4%). Conclusion: Mentorship is an important aspect of the CCFP-EM program valued by staff and residents alike. Utilizing resident and staff feedback will allow for continuous improvement to the mentorship program.