The role of mentorship in advanced endoscopy training – results from an international survey

Aims Advanced endoscopic procedures are complex and challenging. Having an expert mentor is paramount for guiding mentees to build confidence and develop new skills, ultimately leading to their professional growth. The Women in Endoscopy Mentorship Program consists of 23 mentors, experts in the field of interventional endoscopy, and 12 female mentees. The goal of this program is to help promote women in the field of interventional endoscopy, with a focus on hepatico-biliary endoscopic procedures. During this hybrid programme, female gastroenterologists have the opportunity to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge in interventional endoscopy as well as their leadership skills. The participants in the program created an international survey in order to better understand various views on gender and mentorship.

Methods We created and distributed an international online survey, comprised of 38 single and multiple choice questions, to qualified endoscopists and trainee gastroenterologists. This survey was anonymous and available for completion over 14 days. Descriptive analysis and chi square testing were performed, using SPSS ver 30.0.0.0 statistical software.

Results In total, 220 endoscopists completed our survey. 61,3% of respondents were female and 38,7% were male. 65,9% of women and 61.2% of men have had a mentor in their career in endoscopy. There was no significant difference in the gender of mentors. More men than women felt their mentor had helped their career in endoscopy (83.3 vs 72.2% respectively). Doctors performing diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) were more likely to identified having a mentor than not (56% vs 43%, p=0.044). Of those performing therapeutic EUS, 73% had a mentor. Similarly, 70% of those performing basic or complex endoscopic retrograde colangiopancreatography (ERCP) reported having a mentor and 68% of those performing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) had received mentorship. There was no significant difference among male and female respondents regarding accessing and performing leadership roles in their respective departments.

Conclusions With regard to mentorship in endoscopy, more than half of the participants in the survey have had a mentor and the results show that there was no difference among male and female respondents. However, when it comes to advanced interventional endoscopic procedures such as interventional EUS, ERCP and third space endoscopy, almost a third of respondents reported never having had access to mentorship, despite the complexity of their caseload. Through this study, we highlight the ongoing need for professional mentorship of both male and female endoscopists training in advanced interventional endoscopy.

Publication History

Article published online:
27 March 2025