Download PDF
Evid Based Spine Care J 2013; 04(02): 090-095
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1357367
Original Research
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Success in Academic Spine Surgery: The Role of Mentoring

Christina Goldstein
1   Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital Spine Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

13 June 2013

19 July 2013

Publication Date:
21 November 2013 (online)

Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Introduction

Since the 1980s, multiple sources have suggested that the number of clinician scientists in academic medicine has declined substantially.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] More recently, Corrice et al identified that 2.9 to 10% of American, full-time clinical MD faculty planned to leave academia and 13 to 27.8% were unsure of staying or leaving.[6] Although no data regarding the size or productivity of the academic spine surgeon workforce has ever been published, there is reason to believe that a similar phenomenon is occurring within our specialty. Furthermore, as the demand for spine surgery continues to grow[7] [8] [9] [10] in the face of intensifying competition for health-care resources, the call for high-quality studies to guide spine surgeons, payers, and policy-makers is stronger than ever. With the resulting scenario, in which fewer academic spine surgeons are being asked to produce more evidence upon which decision making in spine surgery can be based, the need for recruitment and retention of academic spine surgeons has never been greater.

A career in academic medicine provides young spine surgeons with the opportunity to practice in an environment where they can educate the next generation of surgeons, contribute meaningfully to the spine literature and provide outstanding clinical care. Unfortunately, multiple barriers to the pursuit of an academic surgical career exist.[11] In particular, a lack of motivated and experienced mentors has been consistently identified as a barrier to successful completion of research and a reason for not choosing a career in academic medicine.[5] [12] [13] [14] Because early and sustained mentorship significantly predicts future dedication of time to research efforts,[15] it is imperative that practicing spine surgeons understand the role of mentoring in the development of future spine clinician scientists.

The purpose of this article is to review the definition of a mentor as well as to outline the specific functions of a mentor in the context of establishment of career in academic medicine. The essential characteristics of outstanding mentors will then be discussed, as will the qualities and actions of successful mentees. Finally, the proposed benefits of participating in a mentoring relationship for both the senior and junior academic spine surgeon will be outlined.

 

  • References

  • 1 Brunette MG, Monast MA. The vanishing clinician—scientist. Can Med Assoc J 1982; 127 (8) 675-676
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Hurwitz SR, Buckwalter JA. The orthopaedic surgeon scientist: an endangered species?. J Orthop Res 1999; 17 (2) 155-156
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Rosenberg L. Physician-scientists—endangered and essential. Science 1999; 283 (5400) 331-332
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Badaró R, Jones TC. Preventive health care for an endangered species—the physician scientist. Braz J Infect Dis 2001; 5 (2) 101-103
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Brand RA, Hannafin JA. The environment of the successful clinician-scientist. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2006; 449: 67-71
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Corrice AM, Fox S, Bunton SA. Retention of full-time clinical MD faculty at US medical schools. Analysis in Brief 2011; 11 (2) 1-2
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Deyo RA, Mirza SK. Trends and variations in the use of spine surgery. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2006; 443: 139-146
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Gray DT, Deyo RA, Kreuter W , et al. Population-based trends in volumes and rates of ambulatory lumbar spine surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2006; 31 (17) 1957-1963 , discussion 1964
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Wang MC, Kreuter W, Wolfla CE, Maiman DJ, Deyo RA. Trends and variations in cervical spine surgery in the United States: Medicare beneficiaries, 1992 to 2005. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2009; 34 (9) 955-961 , discussion 962–963
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Oglesby M, Fineberg SJ, Patel AA, Pelton MA, Singh K. Epidemiological trends in cervical spine surgery for degenerative diseases between 2002 and 2009. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2013; 38 (14) 1226-1232
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Kubiak NT, Guidot DM, Trimm RF, Kamen DL, Roman J. Recruitment and retention in academic medicine—what junior faculty and trainees want department chairs to know. Am J Med Sci 2012; 344 (1) 24-27
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Sambunjak D, Straus SE, Marusić A. Mentoring in academic medicine: a systematic review. JAMA 2006; 296 (9) 1103-1115
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Cohen JG, Sherman AE, Kiet TK , et al. Characteristics of success in mentoring and research productivity - a case-control study of academic centers. Gynecol Oncol 2012; 125 (1) 8-13
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Entezami P, Franzblau LE, Chung KC. Mentorship in surgical training: a systematic review. Hand (NY) 2012; 7 (1) 30-36
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Steiner JF, Curtis P, Lanphear BP, Vu KO, Main DS. Assessing the role of influential mentors in the research development of primary care fellows. Acad Med 2004; 79 (9) 865-872
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Gough I. Mentoring: historical origins and contemporary value. ANZ J Surg 2008; 78 (10) 831
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Healy CC, Welchert AJ. Mentoring relations: a definition to advance research and practice. Educ Res 1990; 19 (9) 17-21
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Jochemsen-van der Leeuw HG, van Dijk N, van Etten-Jamaludin FS, Wieringa-de Waard M. The attributes of the clinical trainer as a role model: a systematic review. Acad Med 2013; 88 (1) 26-34
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Kram KE. Mentoring at Work: Developmental Relationships in Organizational Life. Glenview, IL: Pearson Scott Foresman; 1985: 1-268
    Google Scholar
  • 20 Straus SE, Johnson MO, Marquez C, Feldman MD. Characteristics of successful and failed mentoring relationships: a qualitative study across two academic health centers. Acad Med 2013; 88 (1) 82-89
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Cho CS, Ramanan RA, Feldman MD. Defining the ideal qualities of mentorship: a qualitative analysis of the characteristics of outstanding mentors. Am J Med 2011; 124 (5) 453-458
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Sambunjak D, Straus SE, Marusic A. A systematic review of qualitative research on the meaning and characteristics of mentoring in academic medicine. J Gen Intern Med 2010; 25 (1) 72-78
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Zerzan JT, Hess R, Schur E, Phillips RS, Rigotti N. Making the most of mentors: a guide for mentees. Acad Med 2009; 84 (1) 140-144
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Stamm M, Buddeberg-Fischer B. The impact of mentoring during postgraduate training on doctors' career success. Med Educ 2011; 45 (5) 488-496
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Morzinski JA, Diehr S, Bower DJ, Simpson DE. A descriptive, cross-sectional study of formal mentoring for faculty. Fam Med 1996; 28 (6) 434-438
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Palepu A, Friedman RH, Barnett RC , et al. Junior faculty members' mentoring relationships and their professional development in U.S. medical schools. Acad Med 1998; 73 (3) 318-323
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Tracy EE, Jagsi R, Starr R, Tarbell NJ. Outcomes of a pilot faculty mentoring program. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004; 191 (6) 1846-1850
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Wingard DL, Garman KA, Reznik V. Facilitating faculty success: outcomes and cost benefit of the UCSD National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine. Acad Med 2004; 79 (10, Suppl): S9-S11
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Zeind CS, Zdanowicz M, MacDonald K, Parkhurst C, King C, Wizwer P. Developing a sustainable faculty mentoring program. Am J Pharm Educ 2005; 69 (5) 1-13
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Thorndyke LE, Gusic ME, George JH, Quillen DA, Milner RJ. Empowering junior faculty: Penn State's faculty development and mentoring program. Acad Med 2006; 81 (7) 668-673
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Feldman MD, Arean PA, Marshall SJ, Lovett M, O'Sullivan PO. Does mentoring matter: results from a survey of faculty mentees at a large health sciences university. Med Educ Online 2010; ; doi: 10.3402/meo.v15i0.5063
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Ramanan RA, Taylor WC, Davis RB, Phillips RS. Mentoring matters. Mentoring and career preparation in internal medicine residency training. J Gen Intern Med 2006; 21 (4) 340-345
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Chew LD, Watanabe JM, Buchwald D, Lessler DS. Junior faculty's perspectives on mentoring. Acad Med 2003; 78 (6) 652
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Rabatin JS, Lipkin Jr M, Rubin AS, Schachter A, Nathan M, Kalet A. A year of mentoring in academic medicine: case report and qualitative analysis of fifteen hours of meetings between a junior and senior faculty member. J Gen Intern Med 2004; 19 (5, Pt 2) 569-573
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Barker ER. Mentoring—a complex relationship. J Am Acad Nurse Pract 2006; 18 (2) 56-61
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Steiner JF, Lanphear BP, Curtis P, Vu KO. Indicators of early research productivity among primary care fellows. J Gen Intern Med 2002; 17 (11) 845-851
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Wise MR, Shapiro H, Bodley J , et al. Factors affecting academic promotion in obstetrics and gynaecology in Canada. J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2004; 26 (2) 127-136
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Beasley BW, Simon SD, Wright SM. The Prospective Study of Promotion in Academia (Prospective Study of Promotion in Academia). A time to be promoted. J Gen Intern Med 2006; 21 (2) 123-129
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Kosoko-Lasaki O, Sonnino RE, Voytko ML. Mentoring for women and underrepresented minority faculty and students: experience at two institutions of higher education. J Natl Med Assoc 2006; 98 (9) 1449-1459
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Emans SJ, Goldberg CT, Milstein ME, Dobriner J. Creating a faculty development office in an academic pediatric hospital: challenges and successes. Pediatrics 2008; 121 (2) 390-401
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Assael LA. Every surgeon needs mentors: a Halsteadian/Socratic model in the modern age. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2010; 68 (6) 1217-1218
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar