title: Mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists in Japan: a cross-sectional survey of mentees in six academic medical centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physician-scientists play key roles in biomedical research across the globe, yet prior studies have found that it is increasingly difficult to recruit and retain physician-scientists in research careers. Access to quality research mentorship may help to ameliorate this problem in the U.S., but there is virtually no information on mentoring in academic medicine in Japan. We conducted a survey to determine the availability and quality of mentoring relationships for trainee physician-scientists in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 1700 physician-scientists in post-graduate research training programs in 6 academic medical centers in Japan about mentorship characteristics, mentee perceptions of the mentoring relationship, and attitudes about career development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 683 potential physician-scientist mentees completed the survey. Most reported that they had a departmental mentor (91%) with whom they met at least once a month; 48% reported that they were very satisfied with the mentoring available to them. Mentoring pairs were usually initiated by the mentor (85% of the time); respondents identified translational research skills (55%) and grant writing (50%) as unmet needs. Mentoring concerning long-term career planning was significantly associated with the intention to pursue research careers, however this was also identified by some mentees as an unmet need (35% desired assistance; 15% reported receiving it).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More emphasis and formal training in career mentorship may help to support Japanese physician-scientist mentees to develop a sense of self-efficacy to pursue and stay in research careers.
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. sakusima@med.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Sapporo, Japan. hiroki.mishina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mishina
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, Kyoto University School of Public and Health Center for Innovative Research for Community and Clinical Excellence, Kyoto, Japan. fukuhara.shunichi.6m@kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan. sadakenn@md.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kenei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sada
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Kanazawa, Japan. koizuj@med.m.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.affiliation: Saga University Community Medical Support Institute, Saga, Japan. sugioka@cc.saga-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugioka
authors.affiliation: Ehime University Medical Education Center, Toon, Japan. naoto@m.ehime-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. ma-nishi@med.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Japan. jimori@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Okayama, Japan. makino@md.okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Mentoring at the University of California, 1545 Divisadero, Suite 315, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0320, USA. Mitchell.Feldman@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Mitchell D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Feldman
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000193:education*