• Gurleen Dhami, Wendy Gao, Michael F Gensheimer, Andrew D Trister, Gabrielle Kane, and Jing Zeng.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
• Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 2016 Jan 1; 94 (1): 27-30.

PurposeTo conduct a nationwide survey to evaluate the current status of resident mentorship in radiation oncology.Methods And MaterialsAn anonymous electronic questionnaire was sent to all residents and recent graduates at US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited radiation oncology residency programs, identified in the member directory of the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology. Factors predictive of having a mentor and satisfaction with the mentorship experience were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsThe survey response rate was 25%, with 85% of respondents reporting that mentorship plays a critical role in residency training, whereas only 53% had a current mentor. Larger programs (≥ 10 faculty, P=.004; and ≥ 10 residents, P<.001) were more likely to offer a formal mentorship program, which makes it more likely for residents to have an active mentor (88% vs 44%). Residents in a formal mentoring program reported being more satisfied with the overall mentorship experience (univariate odds ratio 8.77, P<.001; multivariate odds ratio 5, P<.001). On multivariate analysis, women were less likely to be satisfied with the mentorship experience.ConclusionsThis is the first survey focusing on the status of residency mentorship in radiation oncology. Our survey highlights the unmet need for mentorship in residency programs.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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