Inclusivity in plastic surgery - Insights, Recommendations, & Education (INSPIRE): A pilot identity-concordant mentorship programme for underrepresented students in plastic surgery.

Abstract

Mentorship is integral to surgical training, yet access remains inequitable. Ethnic minority (EM) students, those from low-income households, and first-generation medical students face persistent barriers that hinder progression into competitive specialties like Plastic Surgery (PS). To address this, we piloted INSPIRE, a first-in-kind identity-concordant mentorship programme for UK undergraduates. The aim was defined as achieving an 80% improvement over 12 months across three domains: research engagement, preparedness for surgical training, and career interest. Delivered as a Quality Improvement initiative, INSPIRE combined structured face-to-face teaching with longitudinal, identity-concordant research mentorship, using review-based projects aligned with national PS priorities. Outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention across research engagement, preparedness, and career interest. Of 22 mentees, 21 identified as EM and 15 had attended a state school. All mentors identified as being from one of the following groups: ethnic minorities, previously of low socio-economic status, or state school educated. Mentees showed full adherence to programme requirements, with 100% attending all teaching sessions and completing ≥3 mentorship meetings. At baseline, 21 had no publications or national presentations, and none had access to a PS mentor. Post-intervention, 18 had submitted or had prepared a publication (RD=77%, p<0.001) and 59% had presented nationally (RD=55%, p<0.001). Interest in academic surgery rose by 42% (p=0.004) and PS by 40% (p=0.004). INSPIRE significantly improved research engagement and strengthened PS career interest among underrepresented students. These results highlight the value of identity-concordant mentorship.