Introducing the American Journal of Surgery Virtual Research Mentor: A primer for aspiring surgeon-scientists

[...]academic surgery is now defined more by the diversity of those who enter and their interests than ever before.11 Benchmarking studies of leaders in academic surgery demonstrate that a diverse set of training pathways can lead to successful academic careers.11,12 The most common pathway involves one to three years of dedicated academic development time during residency at an institution with research infrastructure and a national presence to support burgeoning academic intentions. First is a fundamental understanding of the scientific process, which ensures that research skills are employed to address meaningful research questions. Many academic medical centers have dedicated centers for basic, clinical and translational research which can help develop those skills (e.g. National Institutes of Health Clinical & Translational Science Award programs). Because these centers are limited in number and not accessible to all trainees, many professional surgical organizations have developed excellent career development resources to address these gaps.