Future Supervision and Mentoring

Medical training programs often employ the use of ‘supervision’ via educational or clinical supervisors to monitor and guide the professional development of residents or trainees. However, the nature and role of supervision varies both across Europe, by and within individual training programs and dependent on the trainee and the supervisor. Assessment of performance is a key part of this supervision and supervision often focusses on assessment against curricula points or performance indicators. Mentorship, however, involves a longitudinal, synergistic relationship between mentor and mentee, aiming to promote learning and professional development and may be associated with higher confidence and career progression. The role of mentorship versus supervision, delivery of mentorship, and who is best placed to be a ‘mentor’ are topical issues.

In this presentation, I will review the utility of supervision and mentorship within postgraduate medical training and describe future directions in this area.