Study finds external mentorship key in encouraging trainees to pursue classical hematology

In a year-long pilot program, exterior mentorship elevated confidence, furthered profession growth, and facilitated networking alternatives for trainees in classical hematology, in line with a examine printed in Blood Advances.

Classical hematology, the examine of non-cancerous blood problems resembling sickle cell anemia and thrombotic and hemorrhagic problems, is projected to face a big workforce scarcity within the coming years. The American Society of Hematology’s (ASH) earlier surveys of hematology/oncology program administrators and fellows each discovered that solely 5% of fellows deliberate to pursue classical hematology.

Mentorship has been recognized as a very powerful consider encouraging trainees to pursue and stay within the subject, notably in underrepresented subspecialties like classical hematology.

“I’ve seen trainees who had been initially serious about classical hematology go on to pursue one thing completely different like bone marrow transplantation due to an absence of mentorship,” stated Soo Park, MD, affiliate professor on the College of California San Diego Faculty of Drugs, UC San Diego Moores Most cancers Heart member, and examine creator.

She herself had thought-about a profession in classical hematology however selected to focus on medical oncology after encountering the identical problem. “There’s a actual want for mentorship in classical hematology, and an exterior program like this might assist fulfill that want.”

Beneath a mentorship program developed by way of the ASH Medical Educators Institute, Dr. Park and her colleagues paired hematology/oncology fellows serious about classical hematology with mentors outdoors of their establishments to fulfill nearly every month for one 12 months and full an elective scholarly undertaking.

All 35 mentees who utilized to this system had been paired with a mentor based mostly on their pursuits inside classical hematology, space of experience, profession plans, private expertise, gender, race, ethnicity, and best choice of mentor. Thirty-four mentors took half in this system, as one mentor’s subject of curiosity aligned carefully with two mentees. Solely two mentor/mentee pairings didn’t see this system by way of to completion.

This system’s feasibility and influence had been primarily evaluated by way of mentor and mentee surveys performed six months into this system, upon completion of this system, and 6 months after completion. The surveys contained a number of alternative, five-point Likert scale, and free textual content objects. Moreover, after finishing this system, two mentees participated in in-person interviews, whereas six others took half in a digital focus group.

Of the 32 mentees and 27 mentors who responded to the survey distributed at completion of this system, 30 (94%) mentees and 23 (85%) mentors reported that their assigned mentor or mentee was an excellent match whereas 18 (56%) mentees and 14 (52%) mentors deliberate to proceed their relationships after this system. Nineteen (59%) of mentees had been capable of join with college outdoors of their assigned mentor throughout this system, indicating that this program helped mentees join with different potential mentors.

Participation in this system had a considerable influence on trainees’ curiosity in and continued pursuit of classical hematology. Most mentees reported that this system improved their confidence in pursuing classical hematology as a profession (78%), facilitated profession growth (78%), and/or had a constructive influence on their sense {of professional} identification (88%).

Additional, 20 (63%) mentees participated in elective scholarly tasks with their mentors, with many reporting that the expertise afforded them alternatives to acquire awards and grants, current at conferences, and safe tutorial college positions.

“This examine exhibits that efficient, deliberate mentorship is significant for profession development, particularly for trainees,” stated Zoya Qureshy, MD, a present inner medication chief resident at UC San Diego and examine co-author.

“Digital communication can foster sturdy exterior mentorships and relationships for individuals who may not have as a lot institutional, native mentorship available.”

Mentors additionally positively acquired this system. Twenty-five (93%) mentor survey respondents thought the pilot program was an excellent useful resource for his or her mentee, 26 (96%) felt this system contributed to their trainee’s profession growth, and 100% believed this system would improve retention in classical hematology.

“The success of this pilot program may present different subspecialties that it’s possible to have mentorship alternatives outdoors of 1’s personal establishment,” stated Dr. Park. “It opens up prospects of reaching out to trainees earlier on of their coaching and even to these pursuing a Ph.D.”

The examine did have some limitations, together with that suggestions from mentors and mentees, which was neither compulsory nor collected anonymously, could have been susceptible to self-reporting and/or sampling bias. Moreover, taking part mentees could have been self-selecting, as most had prior classical hematology mentoring and analysis experiences, and a few had beforehand acquired ASH awards. The examine pattern measurement was additionally comparatively small.

Drs. Park and Qureshy are presently working in partnership with ASH to increase the mentorship program by way of ASH’s Classical Hematology Development Mentorship Program (CHAMP), which can join fellows serious about classical hematology with mentors. CHAMP will open for mentor and mentee functions in Fall 2024.