This was the single most critical decision that I made – more aptly, lucked into – during my three lab years. Many residents pick their labs using the number of publications as the sole criterion. Certainly, productivity is important; we all need something to show for the time we’ve taken out of our clinical training. However, your mentor represents a great deal more than a block of text on your CV. S/he is your introduction to a new world! S/he will educate you – not only in the conduct of science, but also in the (often political) navigation of academics, both at your own institution and on a regional/national/international platform. S/he will be key to your ability to pursue and achieve success in the future, whether or not (but especially if) you intend for that to involve research. A true mentor will be your greatest advocate. It’s a reciprocal relationship, really – in exchange for knowledge, advice, and moral support, you’re going to work towards advancing his/her scientific vision.

Ideally, that vision is one that resonates with you. I’ve realized that I work much harder when engaged. Throughout high school, undergraduate, and my postcollegiate/premedical year, I worked in basic science labs, and, in all that time, I never published. The problem was not my mentors – I had quite a few who were wonderful people and accomplished scientists – but, rather, my own lack of interest. I was forcing it, and poorly so; because I found it utterly painful to read the relevant literature, to think about the problems in the abstract, and therefore to troubleshoot the experiments or rationalize about the next steps, I was unable to drive my own projects. When it came time to pick a lab in residency, I was adamant about studying subjects that appealed to me. In fact, my projects fascinated me, and during those 3 years, I’d find my thoughts wandering to them at all times – while watching TV, reading trashy women’s magazines, riding public transportation, etc. I simply enjoyed turning the problems and their potential solutions around in my head, so the entire research process became more intuitive, less effortful, and subsequently much more productive.

Don’t be afraid to leave your home institution to find a lab you love! There are not many programs with established surgical outcomes research fellowships. The Surgical Outcomes Club’s website has a short list of institutions: http://​www.​surgicaloutcomes​club.​com/​links. I applied to many of them, as personally, I get anxious if I don’t have a Plan B (through Z). I knocked on a lot of doors, but I didn’t regret that investment of time. It was a sort of informal review of all the options in surgical outcomes research – until I did this, I hadn’t realized that there were so many different pathways.

Finally, you are going to work with your mentor more closely and over a much longer period of time than any other attending in residency, so it’s important to choose wisely! A mismatch in style or personality can result in a miserable few years, with each of you thinking the other is always wrong, lazy/overbearing, etc. Think about whether you prefer complete independence (at the risk of lack of guidance and occasionally flailing) or to be constantly pushed (and often micromanaged), and figure out whether your potential mentor is likely to give you the former or the latter. It’s a question of personality (which, if you can’t tell by meeting them, you can probably figure out from other residents), as well as time commitment. If you’re going to need a substantial amount of guidance (and many – myself included – of us do, especially at the beginning), it may not be best to pick someone whose protected time is comprised of evenings and weekends. Going into the lab, I was conscious to gravitate towards people who were senior enough that they didn’t have to actively build their practices and who already had some funding (and therefore viable projects, as judged by standards more rigorous than mine). Later, in trading stories with residents from other labs, I realized I had also serendipitously found someone who was not too senior, by which I mean: her administrative duties and national leadership roles did not prevent me from accessing her on a regular basis.