Mentoring surgeons in private and academic practice.

Mentoring is an essential component of a successful career in any profession, and these relationships are beginning to be explored in great detail in academic surgery. However, it is equally important for surgeons in private practice, and this area has not received nearly as much attention in the literature. The goals for both are similar and include providing career advice, guidance, and counseling, with the only regard being the success of the junior associate. In private practice, the mentor can be a senior colleague who may or may not be part of one's group practice. In academia, it may be someone at another university, although proximity is preferable. It may be necessary to repeat the search for a mentor more than once before a successful relationship evolves. This complex process must be mastered if one is to be successful in either academia or private practice.