Implementation of mentoring in a medical school - mentors and students’ perceptions

Abstract: Introduction: In medical education, mentoring has the important function of supporting and complementing student’s education through their relationship with a teacher, which fosters student’s global development. Objective: to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a mentoring program in a private school from the perspective of mentors and mentees; to identify, among students who did not participate in mentoring, the reason for not participating, knowledge about the concept of mentoring and the desire to participate in the future. Method: Cross-sectional, descriptive study with a qualitative approach. The study participants included mentors, mentees and students who did not participate in the mentoring program. All participants answered a semi-structured questionnaire and the answers were submitted to a qualitative approach analysis. Results: The answers were divided into two broad categories: strengths - bonding, exposing feelings/self-disclosure, mentoring as a two-way street, space for integration - and weaknesses - organization and scheduling difficulties, conducting group dynamics and addressed topics, of integration between group members. The students who did not participate in mentoring attributed their non-participation to lack of time and reported they wanted to participate in the future. Conclusion: the reports showed strengths and weaknesses of mentoring for mentors and mentees, as well as aspects to be improved. Prospective studies of mentoring programs are needed to identify aspects that promote the development of participants and reduce their suffering, as well as their impact on medical education.