Mentorship Experiences of Early-Career Academic Radiation Oncologists in North America.

Purpose: Given concerns about attrition and career outcomes of academic radiation oncologists, we sought to gather empirical evidence regarding mentorship experiences.

Methods And Materials: We surveyed academic radiation oncologists in the United States and Canada who were within 5 years of board certification, using a pretested questionnaire that included 14 questions evaluating the following aspects of mentorship: relationship development, peer mentorship, satisfaction with mentorship, sponsorship, relationship nature, informal interactions, mentoring roles, presence of a primary mentor, and primary mentor characteristics. We described responses and evaluated associations with gender in separate multivariable regression models that adjusted for years in practice, nature of research, possession of higher degrees, and race.

Results: Of 347 faculty surveyed, 221 responded (64% response rate); 66% of respondents were men. Over half of respondents indicated difficulty in identifying role models (56%, n = 124); just under half reported ease in developing mentoring relationships (49%, n = 108). Peer-mentor use was commonly reported (62%, n = 138). Most respondents (66%, n = 145) spent ≤1 hour per month meeting with mentors. Only 51% (n = 112) reported having a primary mentor. Just under half of all respondents reported being very or somewhat satisfied with their mentorship experiences (49%, n = 108).

Conclusions: These findings suggest a need for academic radiation oncology departments to facilitate mentorship of all junior faculty through deliberate, structured programs, with training of mentors and mentees alike. It is heartening that substantial rates of sponsorship and peer-mentorship use were reported, which may serve as the grounding for further initiatives.