Sundus Iftikkhar, Syed Hasan Shoaib, Iqra Aziz, Muhammad Fiaz.
Students\' Perception of the Mentorship Program at a Private Medical College of Lahore.
J Sharif Med Dent Coll Jan ;6(2):87-94.

Objective: To analyze the perception of 1* Year MBBS students regarding the mentorship program in Shalamar Medical & Dental College. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted at Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore. A questionnaire containing 28 items was distributed among all students on their return from the 1* professional exam. The questionnaire consisted of open and closed-ended questions where the latter were based on the Likert scale. Results: A total of 110 students participated in the study, out of which 69 were females, 41 males. Among the positive responses, 72% of the participants agreed that mentors were readily available for group sessions and 59% agreed to mentors' availability for individual sessions. Regarding the role of mentors in encouraging students' involvement in campus committees, time management, and helping them unite their personal and academic life; the students' response rate was 76%, 58%, and 56% respectively. The most commonly discussed issues were time management and confidence building. Nearly half of respondents received encouragement to conduct research, help in improving presentation skills, and increased knowledge about ethical dilemmas. Regarding constructive feedback, 68% of the students found their mentors beneficial for themselves, and 49% considered mentors as role models. Overall, 64% of students felt that the program had benefitted them in some way. Conclusion: The students had a positive perception of the mentorship program and 64% of the students believed that they benefitted from it. The students felt that the constructive feedback provided by mentors was helpful and it helped them not only in gaining confidence but also in managing time well. It was concluded that to improve the program, the frequency and duration of meetings should increase. Keywords: Mentorship. Behaviour. Counseling. Mentor. Mentee. Perception.

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