title: Near-peer mentoring to complement faculty mentoring of first-year medical students in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The first year is stressful for new medical students who have to cope with curricular challenges, relocation issues, and separation from family. Mentoring reduces stress and facilitates adaptation. A program for faculty mentoring of first-semester students was initiated by the Medical Education Unit in 2009 at University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. Feedback after the first year revealed that mentees were reluctant to meet their mentors, some of whom were senior faculty. In the following year, student mentors (near-peers) were recruited to see if that would improve the rate and quality of contact between mentees and mentors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Volunteer faculty (n=52), near-peers (n=57), and new entrants (n=148) admitted in 2010 participated in the ratio of 1:1:3. The program aims were explained through an open house meeting, for reinforcement, and another meeting was conducted 5 months later. At year-end, a feedback questionnaire was administered (response rate: faculty, 28 [54%]; mentees, 74 [50%]).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many respondent faculty (27, 96%) and mentees (65, 88%) believed that near-peer mentoring was useful. Compared to the preceding year, the proportion of meetings between faculty mentors and mentees increased from 4.0±5.2 to 7.4±8.8; mentees who reported benefit increased from 23/78 (33%) to 34/74 (46%). Benefits resulted from mentors' and near-peers' demonstration of concern/support/interaction/counseling (35, 47.3% mentees); 23 mentees (82%) wanted to become near-peers themselves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Near-peer mentoring supplements faculty mentoring of first-year medical students by increasing system effectiveness.
authors: Department of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Humanities Group, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Satendra
authors: 0000-0002-4857-659X
authors: S
authors: Singh
authors: Department of Pathology, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Humanities Group, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Navjeevan
authors: 0000-0002-1790-8010
authors: N
authors: Singh
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Humanities Group, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India ; Department of Medical Education Unit, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
authors: Upreet
authors: 0000-0002-3064-6609
authors: U
authors: Dhaliwal
keywords: Counseling; Faculty; Medical education; Medical students; Mentors; Program development