The VCU Department of Anesthesiology offers an optional longitudinal peer mentorship program available to all its residents. Each mentorship group is composed of about 2-4 residents from different PGY levels and is led by a dedicated faculty mentor. The groups meet frequently throughout the year, and the goal is for residents to mentor one another while also being mentored by the faculty leader. The groups are built to last throughout the resident’s entire training, and as a CA3 graduates, a new intern joins at the start of each year. This low-stakes mentorship program invites social interactions, professional development, and effective career planning in a safe and supportive environment.

Past mentor group activities/meetings include:

· Getting together at some of the great local restaurants and breweries

· Gathering at the faculty mentor’s home

· Group Top Golf session

· Team movie night/day

In addition to the group mentoring dynamic, this program also allows the option for individual mentoring/coaching to take place outside of the group environment where, faculty and residents can discuss more targeted goals/objectives.

The mentorship groups are designed to be flexible and directed towards the needs of the mentees, and topics of discussion can range and vary widely. However, some examples of topics that have come up include:

· Postgraduate planning (Fellowship vs Practice)

· Career planning (academic vs private vs military/government vs industry settings)

· Board preparation, academic readiness, reading plans

· Challenging cases or clinical situations

· Wellbeing and wellness, social activities, family dynamics, work/life balance discussions

· Transitions (Intern to CA1, CA3 to attending, etc.)

· Rotation advice

· Guidance for special certifications/trainings (POCUS, TEE, etc.)

· Financial preparation (financial planners/advisors, insurance, loans, home buying, investment)

· Transition to practice (contract negotiation, navigating job offers)

· Research involvement or academic projects, QA/QI

· Involvement in professional societies/committees (ASA, ASRA, AMA, SOAP, SCA, VSA and many more, VCU committees)

· Personal and Professional Goal Setting

For more information regarding VCU’s Longitudinal Peer Mentorship Program

Contact: Adam Seibert, M.D.  Email: Adam.Seibert@VCUHealth.org