Speed Mentoring: An Effective & Efficient Path to Development of Mentor Relationships in a Military Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency

With a deficit of effective military residency mentorships, a paucity of research on successful mentorship programs, and growing reports on innovative mentoring programs, we developed a "Speed Mentoring" event for the National Capital Consortium OBGYN Residency. The development, implementation, and follow-up responses through participant surveys were designed as an institutional review board (IRB)-approved evidence-based quality improvement project at our institution. Our event coordinated mentorship opportunities between residents and faculty from a wide range of specialties, leadership roles, and research experiences. Residents were matched with faculty that aligned with self-identified goals. Surveys were distributed prior to the event and at follow-up intervals to demonstrate the lasting impact and areas for improvement. Prior to our first event, every resident reported by survey that they desired more mentorship opportunities. However, only 55% could identify a specific mentor, citing limited time and difficulty establishing a relationship. Immediately following the event, 90% of residents scheduled a follow-up with at least one mentor. Forty-seven percent of residents reported inspiration to initiate a new research project. Meanwhile, faculty felt valued and gained satisfaction by "giving back" to their profession. After 1 month, half of the residents and faculty had already conducted at least one meeting. At 3 months, 76% of meetings centered on research and 23% on quality improvement projects. Fifty-seven percent of participants reported future scheduled meetings. At 6 months, 75% of residents reported meaningful mentorship relationships. After demonstrating a need for improved mentorship opportunities, we implemented an efficient way to foster mentorship while expanding resident involvement in research, QI projects, and fellowship applications. This "Speed Mentorship" program can be easily adapted to all residency programs.