SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Mentorship Program Revitilization Through Human Centered Design

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This project used human-centered design (HCD) to improve mentorship and sponsorship in graduate medical education, with a focus on equity, burnout reduction, and professional growth. The team studied experiences of residents and students through qualitative and quantitative methods, then used those findings to create low-burden mentorship interventions tailored to participant needs.<br /><br />The project was implemented in a community teaching hospital in Dothan, Alabama, with 39 internal medicine residents and 24 osteopathic medical students. The team included 13 members: one medical student, nine internal medicine residents, and three faculty. Data collection began in January 2021, interventions started in July 2021, and outcomes were tracked through February 2022. Methods included 44 survey responses, 14 local interviews, and 14 panelist interviews.<br /><br />Key results showed a 43% decrease in burnout scores, especially among interns and PGY-3 residents. Academic productivity also improved substantially, including a 375% increase in abstracts submitted, a 39% increase in regional conference presentations, and a 229% increase in accepted peer-reviewed publications. The program also saw a 2.6-fold increase in residents attempting to match into fellowships and a 10% increase in overall fellowship match rate. Mentor virtual check-in compliance was 86%, and mentee compliance was 79%.<br /><br />The authors note several limitations: the project occurred during COVID-19, which may have affected participation and outcomes; burnout surveys were collected after major pandemic surges; and the residency program was relatively young, so results may not generalize to more established programs.<br /><br />Overall, the authors conclude that HCD is an effective way to build mentorship programs because it centers participant needs, reduces administrative burden, respects time constraints, and can be implemented at low institutional cost.

Asset Subtitle

Ariail G. Schmitz

Meta Tag

Author List Amith Skandhan, Ariail G. Schmitz, Meghana Gadgil, Sasha-Kay A. d'Aguilar

Category Innovations

Concept Human-Centered Design

Concept Mentorship

Concept Sponsorship

Concept Burnout

Concept Equity

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Southeast Health

Presenting Author Ariail G. Schmitz

Track Education

Keywords

human-centered design

mentorship

sponsorship

graduate medical education

burnout reduction

residency program

equity

academic productivity

fellowship match

low-burden interventions

Human-Centered Design

Mentorship

Sponsorship

Burnout

Equity