Mentorship in academic medicine, surgery, and surgical subspecialties has been examined broadly in the literature at the student, resident, early, and senior faculty level. These studies have explored mentorship in general, as well as gender specific differences or issues that arise. Less studied is the idea of collaboration in surgical training.

The objective of this review is to summarize the current literature on mentorship and delineate its future.

Traditional paradigms of the mentor plotting the career of the mentee may not be possible in the future. In the ever-changing practice of surgery, time constraints are only increasing, making the act of mentoring more difficult.

The mentee or trainee must take a more active role and seek out mentorship, seek out collaboration, be more proactive, and communicate their needs and career goals early on.