title: Mentoring for first year medical students: humanising medical education.
abstract: New entrants are vulnerable to the challenges of the medical course; mentoring programmes are known to offer support. This paper evaluated the experiences of students and faculty enrolled in a new mentoring programme. After needs analysis of students and faculty, a small-group mentoring programme for new medical students was initiated. Fifty-five volunteer faculty mentors were allocated two-three students each. At year-end, feedback using an open-ended questionnaire, revealed that there was no contact in one-third of the cases; the commonest reasons cited were lack of mentee initiative, time and commitment. Supportive mentors were appreciated. Over 95% of respondents believed that mentoring was a good idea; many believed the mentee benefitted; mentors also reported improved communication and affective skills; 60 (77.0%) mentees wanted to mentor new students the following year. Thus, mentoring of first-year students by faculty was effective, when contact occurred, in making the mentee feel supported. Mentoring may be a means of honing the affective domain and humanitarian instincts of medical faculty and students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 095 INDIA.
authors.forename: Arati
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Navjeevan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Upreet
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dhaliwal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult