Launching a Statewide Radiology Mentorship Program: A First-Year Experience

Purpose: To describe the design, implementation, and early outcomes of a statewide radiology mentorship program created to address gaps in access to mentorship for medical students and trainees across geographically and institutionally diverse settings.

Methods/Materials: A statewide mentorship program was launched through the Texas Radiological Society using structured electronic intake forms for mentors and mentees. Mentors included radiology residents and early-career radiologists, while mentees consisted primarily of medical students interested in radiology or radiation oncology. Participants reported training stage, institutional affiliation, subspecialty interests, and specific mentorship needs (e.g., residency applications, career exploration, research involvement). A centralized matching process was used to pair participants based on shared interests and stated goals. Program participation was evaluated during the first year.

Results: In its first year, the program enrolled 49 mentors and 93 mentees representing medical schools and training programs across Texas. Mentors spanned multiple subspecialty interests and training levels, while mentees represented all years of medical school. The most frequently requested mentorship areas included guidance on residency applications, subspecialty selection, research involvement, and navigating early career decisions. All mentees were successfully matched, including participants from institutions without home radiology programs. Early feedback demonstrated strong interest in continued mentor–mentee engagement and program expansion.

Conclusions: A statewide, society-sponsored mentorship model can successfully connect trainees with mentors beyond institutional boundaries and address disparities in mentorship access. Early participation highlights substantial demand for structured, longitudinal mentorship in radiology. This model is scalable and may be adapted by other regional or national organizations to support trainee engagement.