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Background: Mentoring connections significantly enhances the bidirectional flow of information between academics and medical students. The mentorship program at GMC, initiated in 2019, has conducted three meetings to date. This study aimed to assess undergraduate medical students' perceptions and experiences with the mentorship program, particularly in terms of career path development and goal setting. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at GMC, including 218 MBBS students from all academic years. The questionnaire addressed various aspects of mentorship sessions, such as ideas, encouragement, work-life balance, management, development needs, goal achievement, solutions, and relationships with mentors. Results: Most respondents were in their 4th year (27.5%). A majority (68.3%) rated the mentorship program positively, with 56.4% attending for general guidance. Key findings revealed that 93.1% of students found in-person meetings most effective for receiving advice, 64.2% wished to share their experiences with others in the future, 58.3% found the sessions interactive, and 56.9% felt capable of achieving their goals post-session. Additionally, 50.9% reported that mentoring facilitated interactions with different individuals, and 43.6% viewed the program as a career development resource. Junior students attended sessions more seriously (P<0.000) and enjoyed them more (P=0.013) compared to senior students, who suggested areas for improvement (P=0.005). Conclusion: The mentorship program at GMC supports career development and counseling, with junior year mentees reporting higher satisfaction and enjoyment than their senior counterparts, who suggested improvements for the program.
Khan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.