Ask 100 different surgeons to define mentoring and it is possible you will get 100 different answers. Lively debate around the exact definition of mentoring is valuable, and can help a surgeon understand exactly what type of support they would like to receive, or the support they would be best placed to provide to others. Ensuring that any mentoring relationship is well structured with clear boundaries between mentor and mentee is vital, but we do not want to restrict our work to one definition which cannot possibly meet the needs of our 28,000 members. Mentorship should develop a mentee’s ability to make the right decisions about their career. Our approach to mentorship is inclusive – to create a sense of belonging based on the many ways that surgeons will require support over the course of their career.

There are a great many different types of helping relationship. At different stages of a surgeon’s career, they may need some or all of these.

Mentorship builds relationships between individuals. The exact nature of the mentoring relationship will depend on the individual’s needs at that stage in their career. Mentorship builds belonging, and will help ensure that surgery is a diverse, inclusive and welcoming profession for those from every background.

To a mentee, it provides a place for them to reflect upon their practice and professional behaviours and work through concerns and issues. It helps them develop their approach to concerns or issues, and build better approaches to deal with them in the future. We believe that positive changes to behaviours and attitudes, through effective mentorship, can lead to better working environments and ultimately better patient care.

Mentors have the opportunity to use the relationship to reflect on their own behaviour or attitudes, and develop important skills needed for effective team-working and leadership. Being a mentor is rewarding and satisfying – helping mentees through their own career journey is a profound thing to be involved in.

Mentorship is for every surgeon. At different stages of a surgeon’s career, different types of mentorship can provide support to tackle different issues. Mentorship absolutely should not be associated with crisis points in a surgeon’s professional life.

Mentorship can help a surgeon improve their general skills and understanding of their performance and position at specific points of their career, such as during change or at key progression points. This can include first consultant appointments, for example.

Mentorship is also particularly beneficial for surgeons from underrepresented groups. Dedicated schemes for Women in Surgery, people from ethnic minority backgrounds or those in SAS career grades have all been successful at providing targeted support to those who may struggle to identify the right role models for their circumstances. Good mentorship can also make a particular difference to medical students and junior trainees and can help inspire them to undertake a career in surgery in the future.