Mentoring Program in Academic Medicine: A Systematic Review Study

Background: Mentoring is a crucial component of academic medicine, facilitating collaboration to enhance individuals' personal and professional growth. However, medical faculty face increasing pressures from clinical, administrative, research, and educational responsibilities, which can strain mentoring efforts. Thus, it is essential to assess the evidence that underscores the importance of mentoring. Methods: In this systematic review, we identified 74 relevant studies from both international and national databases. Additionally, we searched the gray literature via Google Scholar. From these, we selected 16 studies for further analysis. We extracted pertinent data for our study using Excel and calculated the variance through binomial distribution. The research heterogeneity was assessed using the I² index, and we analysed the data with a random effects model. Results: The findings revealed that the mentoring program comprises three key stages: "Targeting and Familiarization with the Implementation of the Mentoring Program,” “Mentoring Program Implementation,” and “Evaluation of the Mentoring Program.” Various methods were employed to implement the plan, including the Traditional One-to-One Mentoring Program, the Peer Mentoring Program, and the Distance Education Mentoring Program. Conclusion: While mentoring is considered a vital aspect of academic medicine, the existing evidence supporting this belief is limited.