Changing oncology training in Latin America: A mentorship program design and implementation.

Abstract

e21031 Background: Mentorship is a valuable aspect of professional development in oncology. It has been associated with an increase in job satisfaction, self-confidence and career success, while contributing to the reduction of burnout. To date, there are no published examples of the implementation of mentorship programs in oncology in Latin America. We aimed to develop and evaluate a pioneering mentorship program to enhance training and reduce burnout in oncology fellows. Methods: The Leadership Mentoring Program was developed after systematic review of the literature and feedback from institutional oncology experts. The program involved a matching process between mentors and fellows considering their interests, the creation of common goals and monthly meetings to evaluate the program’s progress. It was implemented at the Alexander Fleming Institute (IAF) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The objective of this study was to describe the program's implementation and evaluate burnout using the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI) and Copenhagen Burnout Index (CBI) in the participating fellows. Results: The program began on September 1 2024 and the first mentor meeting occurred during October 2024. The initial evaluation was taken in January 2025. Seven fellows were included in the study, with a median age of 31(range 26 to 34). Six mentors participated, Five mentors were male. The median time as specialists was 9.5 years (range: 8 to 15 years), and they all had experience in both clinical practice and research, but none in basic research. The most common goals selected by the fellows in entering the program were research and publishing, insertion in collaborative cancer groups and instruction in oratory and presentations. Other objectives were, work-life balance, improving communication with patients, work insertion after fellowship, specialization in an area of interest, improving study methodology and acquiring experience in basic and clinical research. Median baseline MBI and CBI scores were 34 (IQR 27-39,75) and 35.5% (IQR 19,65-45.4%), respectively. At the 3 month follow up median MBI and CBI were unchanged from baseline 34 (IQR 29,25-39) and 35.5% (IQR 25,12-45,12%), respectively. Three fellows scored a medium level of burnout in at least one area tested during the study period. Conclusions: Our study represents one of the first experiences in the implementation of a mentorship program in oncology in Latin America. It demonstrated low levels of burnout among participants. Initial assessments did not show a significant reduction in burnout levels of the participating fellows. Further evaluations will underscore the impact of the program on achieving professional development goals. In the future, we aim to incorporate local and regional academic institutions to understand the potential usefulness of mentorship, according to the local necessities of in-training physicians, in our setting.