Medical EducationORIGINAL ARTICLE

On-site peer mentorship’s effect on personal and professional development, stress reduction, and ease of transition into the medical education system

Savannah Whitfield, DO; Caryn Hazard, BS; Brittnee Haynes, DO; Todd Coffey, PhD; Launa Lynch, PhD; and Sarah Davis, DO
Notes and Affiliations
Notes and Affiliations

Received: April 13, 2023

Accepted: February 27, 2024

Published: April 19, 2024

  • Savannah Whitfield, DO, 

    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

  • Caryn Hazard, BS, 

    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

  • Brittnee Haynes, DO, 

    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

  • Todd Coffey, PhD, 

    Department of Research and Biostatistics,
    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

  • Launa Lynch, PhD, 

    Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacology Department,
    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

  • Sarah Davis, DO, 

    Department of Osteopathic Principles & Practice,
    518097
    Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
    , Meridian, ID, USA

Abstract

Context: Mentorship aids in the transition into the medical education system, which is a demanding and stressful time for learners. The development of new medical schools to offset the physician shortage has posed a challenge in that the inaugural class of students lacks an upperclassman cohort as a resource for advice and mentorship. Mentorship has proven to have positive impacts on three domains: personal and professional development (PPD), stress reduction (SR), and ease of transition (ET) into medical school.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify sources of mentorship within the medical education system and compare the subjective growth of the inaugural and second classes of a newly established medical school in the three domains.

Methods: The inaugural and second classes at a newly established medical school completed an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved anonymous survey with questions pertaining to unidentifiable demographics, sources of mentorship, and a five-point Likert scale assessing characteristics related to the three domains.

Results: Twenty-three students responded to the survey. The second class (n=9) rated their growth higher in all three domains compared to the inaugural class (n=14). The inaugural class utilized the faculty mentor the most (11/14, 78.6 %). The second class utilized the on-site peer mentor the most (9/9, 100 %). Qualitative data analysis led to the emergence of three themes: (1) students utilizing their faculty mentor had the greatest growth in PPD and ET; (2) students utilizing on-site peer mentorship reporting the greatest growth in SR; and (3) informal peer mentorship utilization correlating with less growth in the three domains.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the profound impact that mentorship has on growth in the three domains regardless of the type of mentorship utilized. The benefits, specifically with regard to SR, of an on-site peer mentorship program may not have been satisfied by other sources of mentorship.

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