Exploring the experiences of struggling undergraduate medical students with formal mentoring program at a private medical college in Rawalpindi

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of struggling undergraduate medical students (mentees) with formal mentoring program at a private medical college in Rawalpindi. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory study was carried out from March to August 2019. Data was collected from a purposive sample of sixteen struggling undergraduate students. Validated interview guide was utilized to conduct semi-structured one-to-one interviews. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed accurately. Confidentiality and anonymity were ensured to the participants due to the sensitive nature of the data. Various measures were taken to achieve trustworthiness in the study. Manual thematic analysis was performed and consensus among all authors was built regarding themes and subthemes. RESULTS: Four themes and twelve subthemes emerged from the data. Participants were satisfied with the psychosocial outcomes of the mentoring program such as emotional, moral, and psychological support, and personal and professional development. Mentees told that mentors were their best guides who shared their life experiences. Moreover, mentors provided guidance on Islam, research methods, and case-based learning. Further, mentees said that mentors provide solutions to their problems. Useful suggestions were provided by the mentees regarding betterment in the present mentoring program such as recruitment of committed staff, the need for verbal feedback from mentees about their mentors, need for career counselling and one-to-one mentoring sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the mentees were satisfied with the formal mentoring program. Mentoring focuses on personal and professional development of all medical students. In addition to the useful suggestions provided by the mentees, there is a need for the addition of specific strategies to deal with students struggling with personal or professional problems.