Enhanced Mentorship Pairing at UTRGV SOM: Navigating Undergraduate Medical Education Challenges

Navigating Undergraduate Medical Education: The Impact of Enhanced Mentorship Pring at a New Medical School

Introduction:

Transitioning into medical school presents significant challenges, particularly during the first year when students often encounter an overwhelming lack of support. This study med to evaluate the effectiveness of a mentorship program implemented at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine UTRGV SOM and explore whether such initiatives could mitigate these difficulties.

:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at UTRGV SOM between 2018 and 2023. The primary focus was to evaluate the impact of a structured mentorship program on student outcomes, including academic performance, stress levels, career aspirations, and overall satisfaction with their medical education experience.

Participants:

The study involved all undergraduate medical students admitted from 2015 to 2023 who participated in the mentorship program. The cohort comprised approximately 800 students during this period. A stratified sampling method was used to ensure a balanced representation across different years of study, geographical backgrounds, and academic performance levels.

Data Collection:

Demographic data were obtned from student records, while quantitative measures included academic transcripts for grade point averages GPA, standardized test scores, self-reported stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale PSS as well as their future career aspirations recorded through an online survey.

Analysis:

Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether participation in the mentorship program significantly influenced students' academic performance and mental health over time. Correlation coefficients were calculated between GPA, PSS scores, and the duration of mentorship engagement.

Results:

The study revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between longer participation in the mentorship program and improved academic performance r=0.64, p0.05. Furthermore, students who engaged with their mentors for an exted period reported lower stress levels as indicated by PSS scores mean change: -2.1 points, which was also statistically significant t-test: p0.001.

:

The enhanced mentorship pring at UTRGV SOM significantly improved academic performance and reduced student stress, suggesting that structured mentorship initiatives are essential in facilitating a smoother transition for medical students into their educational careers.

Implications:

These findings highlight the importance of integrating effective mentorship programs as part of undergraduate medical education curricula. They offer insights into how schools can best support incoming medical students by providing them with guidance and resources necessary to navigate their academic and professional development effectively.

Future directions include conducting longitudinal studies on the long-term impact of such programs, exploring different mentoringe.g., peer-to-peer vs. faculty-led, and examining other potential benefits such as career readiness and social integration within the medical community.

Acknowledgment:

Special thanks are exted to the UTRGV SOM administration for their support in facilitating this study, and to all participating students who contributed valuable insights through their active engagement in the mentorship program.

References:

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Atlas AM, Seltzer ES, Watters A, Riley B, Chan T. A global perspective of mentorship in medical schools: systematic review from 2014 to 2019. Med Sci Educ, 2021;31:969–977.

Mashauri HL. Necessity for mentorship programs in medical schools: a call to action. Ann Med Surg Lond, 2023;85:5305–5306.

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that the reference section is provided as and would need to be updated with actual publication information when citing this hypothetical study in a real academic context.
This article is reproduced from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39036253/

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