Transformation of the Institution of Mentorship and Return to the System of Distribution of Medical Personnel: A Review of Risks and Adaptation Strategies

DOI: 10.22138/2500-0918-2026-23-2-306-325

A.V. Panov, A.V. Ivanov, L.A. Yakimenko, I.V. Panova

Rostov State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation,
Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation

Abstract. The current stage of healthcare development in the Russian Federation is characterized by a radical transformation of personnel policy. The entry into force of Federal Law No. 424-FZ dated November 17, 2025, «On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation,» and Presidential Decree No. 896 «On the Strategy for the Development of Healthcare until 2030» forms new approaches to personnel policy. In this system, mentorship ceases to be an optional element of corporate culture, transforming into a mandatory legal condition for undergoing periodic accreditation. Based on the analysis of the regulatory framework and literary sources, the article proves the formation of a unified administrative filter that effectively directs flows of graduates of all forms of study into the state-municipal sector. The authors identified critical risks of the model: the «investment paradox» of commercial education, the barrier of a ‘delayed start’ for a trainee doctor, and the threat of an «accreditation dead-end» in private medicine. The necessity of legislative implementation of «protected time» for mentors and the digitalization of adaptation processes is substantiated. Objective. To identify key risks and develop a conceptual strategy for the adaptation of specialists in the context of the return of the distribution system based on a systemic analysis of the regulatory framework and a synthesis of specialized scientific literature. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the study was a systemic approach, which allowed considering the institution of mentorship as an integral element of the state personnel policy in healthcare. A complex of general scientific and special research methods was applied in the work. The formal-legal method and content analysis were used in studying the regulatory array. Comparative analysis allowed juxtaposing the emerging Russian model with mentorship practices in the healthcare systems of Great Britain (NHS), the USA, and countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The historical-retrospective method was applied to assess the evolution of the institution of mentorship from the Soviet model (N.A. Semashko school) to the modern stage. The method of secondary analysis of sociological data was used to interpret and generalize the results of empirical studies conducted in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and other regions. The graphical modeling method was applied to visualize the organizational model of professional routing of medical university graduates. Results. It has been established that new legislative imperatives transform mentorship into a paid labor function. Systemic routing problems were revealed: a communication gap between the university and the clinical base, the risk of an «accreditation trap» for graduates who have not passed state distribution, as well as the need for reverse mentorship to bridge the digital divide. Conclusion. The effectiveness of the new strategy depends on the introduction of a competency-based approach to evaluating the work of mentors, legislative consolidation of «protected time» for pedagogical work, harmonization of the requirements of educational and medical organizations, and the digitalization of the mentorship circuit.

Keywords: mentorship, personnel shortage, mandatory distribution, accreditation of specialists, regulatory regulation, national project «Active and Long Life»

There is no conflict of interest.
Contact details of the corresponding author:
Panov Anatol Vladimirovich
lefrostovsky@gmail.com
Received: 27.01.2026

For citation: Panov A.V., Ivanov A.V., Yakimenko L.A., Panova I.V. Transformation of the Institution of Mentorship and Return to the System of Distribution of Medical Personnel: A Review of Risks and Adaptation Strategies [Online] Vestn. Ural. Med. Akad. Nauki. = Journal of Ural Medical Academic Science. 2026, Vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 306–325. DOI: 10.22138/2500-0918-2026-23-2-306-325 (In Russ)

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Authors
Panov Anatoly V.
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Healthcare Organization
Rostov State Medical University
lefrostovsky@gmail.com
ORCID: 0000-0003-3973-1209
eLibrary SPIN: 2140-3514

Ivanov Anatoly V.
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Healthcare Organization
Rostov State Medical University
Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
eLibrary SPIN: 6770-9497

Yakimenko Liliya A.
Senior Lecturer of the Department of Healthcare Organization
Rostov State Medical University
Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0003-4441-1832
eLibrary SPIN: 3780-6909

Panova Irina V.
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology
Rostov State Medical University
Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0001-5068-7136
eLibrary SPIN:3009-0330