Mentoring Radiology Residents: Why, Who, When, and How

Mentoring residents can help develop them into more successful practicing radiologists, guide them into academic practice, and help safeguard the future of the specialty. However, there are barriers to successful mentoring. Mentoring is typically undervalued and time consuming and requires the establishment of a mutually satisfactory interpersonal relationship between a resident and a mentor. This article discusses the barriers to successful mentoring and provides some practical suggestions on improving the culture of mentoring within a radiology residency program.