ASMBS Surgical Mentorship Program

Need help navigating a balance between work and home? Feeling burned out in your career? Want advice on how to navigate administration or evolve your practice? Want to advance in your academic career? Or are you someone with some experience or knowledge to advise a less experienced surgeon?

On behalf of the Diversity and Inclusion committee, we present the ASMBS Surgical Mentorship Program to help promote professional success, reduce burnout, and encourage the well-being of our surgeons. Pairing an early career with mid-career surgeons (5-15 years of practice) and mid-career with senior surgeons (>15 years of experience/retired) will target the needs of the mentee over 1 year. Apply today to become a mentee or a mentor!


Testimonials


Mission

  • To provide a mentorship program that aims to promote surgeons’ career professional and personal success.
  • To reduce burnout of surgeons and encourage the well-being of ASMBS bariatric surgeons.
  • To provide mentorship to encourage involvement within ASMBS society and future leadership roles.

Who is eligible?

  • Surgeons who are members in good standing of ASMBS, with either active or retired practices in the United States.
  • Residents and current fellows are encouraged to apply when they are active in practice.
  • An early-career surgeon (less than 5 years of experience in bariatric surgery) in the mentee role will be paired with a mentor of a mid-career bariatric surgeon (5-15 years of experience).
  • A mid-career bariatric surgeon (5-15 years experience in bariatric surgery) in the role of mentee will be paired with a mentor of a senior bariatric surgeon (>15 years of experience or retiree).
  • Preference for mentoring spots will be given to FASMBS members and surgeons with an ASMBS fellowship certificate.
  • Less experienced or first-time mentors are encouraged to apply; mentor resources will be provided to help guide your experience!

Requirements to Mentorship Program

1-year commitment, at minimum quarterly meetings (4x a year). Matches will be paired yearly. Mentees and mentors must complete surveys at the mid-year and end of the year.

Once accepted, mentees must submit a worksheet describing short- and long-term goals and a self-assessment plan to the mentor within 30 days of pairing notification. Mentors will initiate contact within 15 days to set up the first visit via telephone or videoconference. At the conclusion of each meeting, future meeting times should be scheduled, and the mentor should propose a specific action plan for the mentee to work on.

Pairings will be performed based on selected interests, with a preference for mentoring spots given to FASMBS members and ASMBS fellowship certificate holders. At any time, the mentee and/or mentor may request a change in pairings after an appropriate trial period or in rare events of severe incompatibility with follow-up from the program leadership. Pairings will be based on availability and sufficient compatibility. If new pairings are requested during the last quarter of the mentorship cycle, reapplication will be required for the next cycle.

Application

The next cycle of applications will start on February 5, 2024, and close on March 11, 2024.

If you were a previous mentor applicant, please notify Jennifer to bypass this application.

Please contact jennifer@asmbs.org for assistance.