A BSTRACT Introduction: Mentor–mentee programs in medical colleges offer vital support for undergraduate students’ academic, professional, and personal growth. In the demanding world of medical education, they provide structured guidance to navigate complex curricula, clinical training, and career planning. Method: This study, conducted at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College (SBMC) in Hazaribag, Jharkhand, from February to July 2025, evaluates the perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate medical students toward the mentor–mentee program. The study involved 248 MBBS students from Phases I, II, and III, selected via simple random sampling. Result: A significant majority (76.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that the program supports personal development, while 74.6% believed it enhances academic performance. Additionally, 79.1% valued mentors’ guidance in navigating medical college challenges, and 71.7% recognized the program’s role in aiding career decisions. However, attitudes toward the program were moderately positive, with only 55.2% feeling comfortable approaching mentors and 48.6% actively seeking engagement, indicating room for improvement in fostering proactive participation. Challenges included time constraints (34.3%), unclear guidelines (32.1%), and mentor unavailability (19.4%). Students suggested regular meetings, better mentor access, and matching by shared interests. Conclusion: Mentor–mentee program is useful for personal, academic, and career growth, but limited interaction, time constraints, and unclear guidelines hinder effectiveness, requiring structured meetings, better accessibility, improved matching, and further research to enhance impact.
Kumari et al. (Wed,) studied this question.