HSC Education Days
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2-9-2024
Abstract
Now more than ever, medical schools must strengthen the tools they provide for historically underrepresented students to foster a diverse physician workforce. Near-peer mentorship is a powerful tool that promotes resilience, reduces stress, increases academic accountability, and eases the transition into medical school, with students historically underrepresented in medicine benefiting most. We created a near-peer mentorship program matching matriculating first-year Combined Baccalaureate/Medical Degree (BA/MD) program students with rising second- and third-year BA/MD medical students. We surveyed students about their interests, goals, and backgrounds to create matches, and held a mentorship training outlining expectations for discussing sensitive topics, accountability, and relationship continuity. We encourage pairs to meet monthly, complete a required meeting attestation, and use a faculty-developed Individual Mentoring Development Plan for their sessions. We will study student outcomes in resource utilization, academics, professional identity formation, and mental health, and will work with BA/MD Program administration this spring to incorporate our mentorship program into the “Transitions” curriculum for BA/MD undergraduate seniors matriculating to the UNM School of Medicine.
Recommended Citation
Klein, Corrina; Alexus Trujillo; Samantha DeWees; and Marlene Ballejos. "Creation of a Novel Near-Peer Mentorship Program For and By Combined BA-MD Program Students." (2024). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_ed_day/170
Comments
Presented at the HSC Education Day 2024