The impact of a longitudinal mentorship program on medical students: A mixed-methods study

Background Mentorship is a critical element of medical education, shaping specialty preferences, professional identity, and confidence. At VinUniversity in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Longitudinal Mentorship Program (LMP) was designed to provide sustained guidance in a low- and middle-income context. Methods This mixed-methods study included 83 medical students from the first two cohorts at VinUniversity. Quantitative data were collected through a cross-sectional survey assessing mentorship’s influence on specialty selection, confidence, and professional identity formation using a 5-point Likert scale (91.2% response rate). Qualitative data were obtained via semi-structured interviews with 14 students, exploring mentorship’s role in career transitions, gender considerations, work-life balance, and role model influences. Statistical analyses, including Spearman correlation and group comparisons, were conducted for quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative findings. Results Survey data showed that students rated mentorship highly for enhancing confidence (mean 3.98 ± 1.08), providing useful skills and knowledge (3.98 ± 1.06), and offering valuable insights and advice (4.05 ± 1.09). Mentorship was perceived to moderately influence specialty selection (3.28 ± 1.49). Female students consistently rated their mentors higher, with significant differences for expertise (p = 0.005), professional connections (p = 0.002), emotional support (p = 0.007), and personalized guidance (p = 0.022). Correlation analyses revealed that mentors’ expertise (ρ = 0.488), emotional support (ρ = 0.425), and role modeling (ρ = 0.511) were strongly associated with enhanced confidence and specialty interest. Qualitative findings emphasized the importance of role models, clinical mentors, and personal support, with additional insights into gender considerations, work-life balance, and reinforcement of career aspirations. Conclusions This study highlights the critical role of longitudinal mentorship in medical education, demonstrating its impact on career certainty, motivation, and professional identity formation. The findings support the integration of structured mentorship programs into medical curricula to enhance career preparedness and student development. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of mentorship beyond medical school and explore strategies for optimizing mentor-mentee pairing to maximize its benefits.