ETHICS OF MENTORING IN SURGERY (From the Experience of Modern Russian Medicine)

Mentoring of medical personnel is a multifaceted process which requires a detailed and meaningful approach. It is a necessary element for both the adaptation program and professional education of novice doctors and a form of solving social problems associated with the active involvement of experienced clinic staff in teaching. Extensive experience of mentoring in Western countries creates guidelines for the development of this direction in Russia where the institute of mentoring is designed to compensate the shortcomings of the modern system of higher medical education. The article analyzes the results of a medical sociological study of the attitude to the mentoring institute of Russian surgeons. We used quantitative (questioning) and qualitative (focus group) methods of the sociology of medicine. Recommendations on the selection of options for organizing mentoring, ensuring the effectiveness of mentors with young surgeons, were offered. The study showed that at present, the institute of mentoring in surgery should take on the functions of improving the practical skills which earlier were acquired by young surgeons in the subordinate and internship. The authors found that experienced surgeons are interested in returning to the model of higher medical education, which included subordinates and internship. Mentoring is complementary to this model in their opinion. The ethical and legal parameters of mentoring in surgery were discussed.