The mentor in family medicine resident training: a competency facilitator or a symbolic figure?

Abstract

The mentor in family medicine residency training plays a multidimensional role that transcends technical supervision, encompassing professional modeling, emotional support, and the integration of scientific evidence in real-life settings. However, their impact is limited by a lack of pedagogical training, overburdened roles, and superficial evaluations. How can we define the balance between the evaluative role and the comprehensive support of the mentor? What institutional strategies could enhance their role as transformative agents in medical education? Why does a gap persist between the theoretical relevance of the mentor and their practical recognition in health systems? A trained mentor improves the quality of primary care by training critically and humanely trained physicians. They respond to the need for pedagogical models adapted to the demands of family medicine (e.g., community-based approach, prevention) and reflect universal challenges in medical training, such as burnout (a feeling of extreme fatigue) among residents and the disconnect between theory and practice. Mentors must transcend their traditional role as evaluators, prioritizing reflective feedback and modeling transversal skills (empathy, conflict management). The lack of pedagogical training for mentors limits their ability to guide in complex scenarios (e.g., caring for vulnerable populations). Institutions often relegate mentoring to an "administrative requirement," failing to recognize its impact on talent retention and quality of care. In countries with fragile health systems, effective mentoring is key to strengthening primary care. The WHO highlights mentoring as a strategy to reduce health inequities, linking it to training in sociocultural competencies.