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Since 1991, there have been significant changes in medical education in Georgia. Key changes include adapting national legislation toward international standards, establishing the National Center for Education Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), which was recognized in 2018 by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) as an accrediting agency and opening the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) International Networking Center in 2019. Undergraduate medical education, regulated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, spans six years. MD graduates then have options for further career paths, including working as junior doctors, residency, and/or pursuing PhD research. The main challenges the country presently faces are: the need to reduce the increasing number of (mainly) private medical schools. Recent updates to the national standards for undergraduate medical education have imposed stricter accreditation requirements for MD programs, resulting in the closure of schools that fail to meet these standards; postgraduate medical education is governed by the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia (MOH) and needs further reform due to limited and paid residency positions; continuous professional development (CPD) was optional until recently, which led to an increase in professional inaccuracy and malpractice cases. To address this, regulatory bodies, including the MOH and professional associations, are preparing the legal basis for introducing compulsory CPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This AMEE guide discusses theoretical principles and practical strategies for health professions educators to promote impactful mentoring relationships. Traditional definitions are challenged, distinctions are made between roles such as mentor, advisor, coach and sponsor. As educational environments change and options for professional development expand, we argue that the traditional dyadic format of mentoring alone will not help mentees to maximise their professional growth. Newer formats of mentoring are discussed in detail and their advantages and disadvantages compared. We use a variety of theoretical concepts to anchor the practice of mentorship: self-focussed and other-focussed motives; psychological safety; personal interpretive framework; Daloz model for balancing support and challenge; zone of proximal development; communities of practice; and development along multiple layers of competence. Recommended strategies for effective mentoring are based on extensive review of literature, as well as combined professional mentoring experiences of the authors. We use key principles from the theories described and phases of mentoring relationships as foundations for the suggested best practices of mentorship. Finally, we emphasise the role of mentees in their own professional development and provide tips for them on seeking mentors, expanding their mentoring network and taking the lead in setting the agenda during mentoring meetings and formulating action plans for their own advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]