20. Evaluating Efficacy and Key Outcomes of 3 Years of PRS DIME (Diversity and Inclusion Mentorship Experience)

INTRODUCTION: Mentorship is a key factor in matching into plastic surgery residency. Many students from diverse backgrounds, including UIM (under-represented in medicine) racial and ethnic minorities as well as students without a home program, struggle with limited access to mentorship. This prompted the creation of the Plastic Surgery Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mentorship Program (PRS DIME), originally named the West Coast Plastic Surgery Mentorship Program. Participants engage in year-long mentorship with resident mentors from 11 different programs around the country and can participate in an in-person mentor-mentee day with small group-learning, a suture lab, and cadaver dissections. We aim to evaluate the program’s effectiveness by analyzing pre- and post-program outcomes between 2021 and 2024. METHODS: Survey results assessing mentees’ involvement, plastic sugery knowledge, surgical skills, and attitudes before and after participation were collected for the program between 2021 and 2024. Students were asked to select answers on a 5-point Likert scale in which 1 represented the lowest score and 5 the highest score. Pre- and post- intervention results were compared using paired t-tests. RESULTS: A total of 88 mentees our of 135 mentees (65% response rate) completed both pre and post program surveys. Among participants, 29.5% identified as Black/African or Alaskan Native, and 31.8% as Hispanic/Latino. Over 78% of mentees attended medical schools without an affiliated plastic surgery residency. Additionally, 27.3% identified as LGBTQIA+, and 42% were first generation, low income (FGLI) students. 72% of participants reported meeting with their mentor at least 2–3 times, and 34.8% engaged in research projects through their mentor. Students were more confident in their knowledge base as it pertains to the scope of plastic surgery (pre:3.3, post:4.3, p<0.01), free tissue transfer (pre:2.9, post:4.2, p<0.01), facial trauma (pre:2.6, post:3.6, p<0.01), and hand examinations (pre:2.4, post:3.6, p<0.01). Students reported significant improvement in technical skills including knot tying and suturing (p<0.01). Students felt significantly more comfortable identifying barriers to match into plastic surgery (pre:3.8, post:4.2, p<0.01), identifying resources to overcome these barriers (pre:2.9, post:4.1, p<0.01), and identifying at least 3 available mentors (pre:2.5, post:4.1, p<0.01). The majority of students met their goals from the mentorship program (Table 1). DISCUSSION: Participation in PRS DIME enhances clinical knowledge, technical skills, and most importantly connects students with mentorship opportunities. This program is a venue by which students who do not have home programs or are struggling to find mentors within the field of plastic surgery can have a structured means to establish mentorship.