“MENTORING: AN INSIGHT OF STUDENT’S PERCEPTION”

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of our study is to know the perspectives and expectations of undergraduate medical and dental students about implemented mentorship programs in their institutions.

Methodology: A cross-sectional and observational study was conducted after getting an ERC approval from the institutional (FUSH) review board. Study was carried out over a period of one year from June 2022 to June 2023. Students from first to final year MBBS and BDS of two different institutes, already running mentorship programs, were included in the study. Non-Probability convenience sampling technique was used, and proper consent was taken from each participant. Data was collected from 761 MBBS and BDS students from Islamic International Dental College and Foundation University school of Health Sciences (FUSH) on a predesigned, revalidated questionnaire. SPSS version 22 was used.

Results: 761 students participated in this study, comprising of 562 (74%) females and 199 (26%) male students. Out of this total 92% of the students considered mentorship as a mean of guiding the students, 89% agreed that mentorship is a relationship rather than set of activities, whereas 95% students felt that there is a definite need of mentorship in medical education. 74% of students felt that contact sessions with mentor should be done before exam.

Conclusion: Most of the students were of the opinion that mentorship is the need of the day of every academic institute and did not consider this program as an additional burden on them.