The yESTRO mentoring program and a report from a mentee

ABSTRACT

The ESTRO vision statement for 2030 is “Radiation Oncology. Optimal Health for All, Together”. It is becoming increasingly clear that optimal health for all should include the health of caregivers, too. This is exemplified by the high level of burnout amongst radiation oncology professionals across the disciplines, as published recently by Franco et al. (1) Sadly, the COVID pandemic has had a negative impact on mental health of these professionals. (2) The young ESTRO committee (yESTRO) has aligned its activities to the ESTRO vision by setting up an ESTRO mentoring program in order to increase professional well-being for its young members. Mentorship benefits both mentor and the mentee. A review on mentorship in the medical field reported it to have an ‘important influence on personal development, career guidance, career choice, and research productivity, including publication and grant success’. (3) For mentors the benefits lie in enhancement of knowledge, leadership skills, educational skills and increased job satisfaction. With the yESTRO mentoring pilot program, yESTRO specifically aims to satisfy unmet needs for mentorship among young ESTRO members. Fifteen young members were selected as mentees based on their curriculum and personal motivation. The program had its official kickoff at ESTRO 2021 in Madrid with an onsite and an online speed dating session between mentors and mentees. Matches were made and mentor-mentee couples committed to meet at least every three months for the duration of one year. We will present the mid-term evaluation of the pilot at ESTRO 2022. The final evaluation takes place one year after the program started, after which it will be decided whether the program will continue. Yet the ambition of yESTRO is larger. This session will also provide practical advice for those considering to set up a mentoring program at their own institute. Or those seeking a mentor. In this ambition, we will be helped by the experiences shared by Daniel Portik, one of the mentees in the yESTRO mentoring program pilot.