Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the authors of the following study designed and administered a mailed survey to all interns and residents enrolled in the five independent Internal Medicine Residency Training Programs affiliated with Harvard Medical School. They then examined the development of mentoring relationships during residency training, and measured satisfaction with mentoring and with perceived career preparation. Of the 329 respondents (65% response rate), 93% reported that it is important to have a mentor during residency, but only half identified a current or past mentor. Interns and underrepresented minority residents were significantly less likely to establish a mentoring relationship than their peers. Mentored residents were nearly twice as likely to describe excellent career preparation. The authors findings demonstrate the importance of mentoring to medical residents, and identify a relationship between mentoring and perceived career preparation.