**11. Mentorship in the era of COVID and beyond**

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has certainly also posed its own challenges to medical education as a whole [122]. Over the last year students over several fields, not just medicine, have been kept out of class rooms and auditoriums and have been unable to congregate in student lounges, libraries, cafeterias and other places where healthy academic discussions may occur [122]. This is equally true for residents and fellows as well as medical students. Potential mentors are simply less visible and may be less accessible and overall harder to approach in the era of the pandemic. Research mentorships have also identified barriers specifically related to COVID-19, such as transitioning research forums and groups to virtual platforms, adapting the mentorship relationship to video conferencing platforms if needed and providing virtual research opportunities [123, 124]. It may also prove particularly valuable to consider promoting more mentor-mentee meetings in a time where social distancing and avoiding larger gatherings are mandated, given that this involves a two-person team only in most cases. Additionally the pandemic has opened the door for virtual gatherings through video conferencing platforms, which can include many of the advantages of a "face to face" meeting, while allowing for relationships to transcend geographical boundaries [125], a benefit which may outlast the pandemic itself. Mentorship may also be redefined given the already high burnout rate among physicians and trainees, even before the pandemic [126], to include not only academic support, but also emotional support and support of broadly defined 'wellness measures' through mutual compassion during a stressful time [123].
