Mentorship matters: Fostering the growth of the next generation of vascular surgeon-scientists

Mentorship is a well-recognized cornerstone of surgical training. Effective mentoring is critical at each step of the surgeon's development from medical student to senior faculty. Mentorship is even more important to small surgical specialties, such as vascular surgery, to promote the next generation of vascular surgeon-researchers. We review the literature for key lessons on effective mentorship at each stage of the vascular surgeon's journey, in addition to highlighting areas of concern and future strategic focus to keep the vascular surgery-scientist pipeline robust for generations to come.