{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T00:46:28Z","timestamp":1791852388752,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Eur J Pediatr Surg"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Recognizing that mentorship plays a central role in supporting the scholarly and professional development of early career pediatric surgeons, EUPSA (European Pediatric Surgeons' Association) launched the first, international mentorship initiative within pediatric surgery in Europe in 2024. One year after implementation, we aimed to evaluate whether EUPSA CONNECT has a positive impact on participants.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Following Executive Board approval, baseline (October 2024) and follow-up (December 2025) data were collected from 71 mentor\u2013mentee pairs (58% female, 34 countries). Participant experience and program impact were assessed using validated survey questionnaires. Pre- and postintervention differences and gender-related effects were analyzed using Welch's t-tests, with effect sizes reported as Cohen's d.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>In total, 149 participants completed the questionnaires (48% mentees). Mentors had a median of 23 years of professional experience (interquartile range [IQR]: 14\u201328.5). Participants completed a median of 3 (IQR: 1\u20134.5), up to 12 mentorship sessions. One year after initiation, participants reported a reduced work-related burden (1.71 vs. 1.51; d\u2009=\u20090.09; p\u2009=\u20090.092) and self-condemnation (2.85 vs. 2.66; d\u2009=\u20090.06; p\u2009=\u20090.24). Female participants continued to report higher physical and emotional exhaustion, greater self-condemnation, and lower self-compassion and self-care than males (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.05; d\u2009=\u20090.56\u20130.78). Mentees reported clearer career goals, improved communication, and collaboration skills, accompanied by achievements such as securing new positions, completing overseas rotations, and academic productivity. Overall, 88.1% would recommend EUPSA CONNECT.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>EUPSA CONNECT shows high engagement and satisfaction, with improved experience of work demands and self-valuation. Participants further reported benefits in professional development and resilience, highlighting the potential of structured mentorship. Persistent gender differences highlight the need for targeted, equity-focused strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2968-7989","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T23:17:20Z","timestamp":1790637440000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["EUPSA CONNECT: A New Global Mentorship Initiative for Career Development and Well-Being in Pediatric Surgery"],"prefix":"10.1055","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-8734-957X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucas","family":"Wennemann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States","place":["St. Louis"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery"]},{"name":"Hannover Medical School, Germany","place":["Hannover"],"department":["Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5359-7917","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michele","family":"Bosisio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States","place":["St. Louis"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery"]},{"name":"University of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy","place":["Brescia"],"department":["Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Pistone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States","place":["St. Louis"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery"]},{"name":"University of Rome Tor Vergata, Lazio, Italy","place":["Rome"],"department":["Department of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Santucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States","place":["St. Louis"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Speziale","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"SickKids Research Institute Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Ontario, Canada","place":["Toronto"],"department":["Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5666-8830","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Gazzaneo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy","place":["Brescia"],"department":["Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences"]},{"name":"KU Leuven, Flanders, Belgium","place":["Leuven"],"department":["Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5223-1909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmen","family":"Mesas-Burgos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Karolinska Institute, Sweden","place":["Stockholm"],"department":["Department of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rene","family":"Wijnen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Erasmus MC Sophia, The Netherlands","place":["Rotterdam"],"department":["Department of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jose Luis","family":"Peiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, United States","place":["New York"],"department":["Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Fascetti-Leon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Padua University Hospital, Veneto, Italy","place":["Padua"],"department":["Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3082-361X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rim","family":"Kiblawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hannover Medical School, Germany","place":["Hannover"],"department":["Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefano","family":"Giuliani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland","place":["London"],"department":["Department of Specialist Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3312-0952","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonia","family":"P\u00e9rez-Bert\u00f3lez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hospital Sant Joan de D\u00e9u, Spain","place":["Barcelona"],"department":["Department of Pediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0108-3157","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Richard","family":"Keijzer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manitoba College of Medicine, Manitoba, Canada","place":["Winnipeg"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Paediatric Surgery"]},{"name":"University of Manitoba Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Canada","place":["Winnipeg"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Paediatric Surgery"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paolo","family":"De Coppi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland","place":["London"],"department":["Department of Paediatric Surgery"]},{"name":"Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland","place":["London"],"department":["NIHR Biomedical Research Centre"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elke","family":"Zani-Ruttenstock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States","place":["St. Louis"],"department":["Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric 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