Zack Gratz, BS; Chase Caswell, BS; Alexa Kambol, MS; Quinn Anderson, BS; Amanda Jentsch, BA; Nawara Abufares, MS; Sean Mackman, MD; Kelsey Ryan, MD
WMJ. 2026;125(1):42-47.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Traditional faculty mentorship in medical education is limited by availability and specificity of advice. Peer mentorship may complement this model by supporting mentees’ transition into medical school while promoting mentors’ teaching and leadership skills. We implemented a peer mentorship program within an experiential learning course at a private Midwestern medical school to enhance students’ understanding of core course components.
Methods: First-year mentees were randomly assigned second- and third-year mentors. Six required sessions were embedded into course meetings across the academic year. A pre-implementation survey (pre-1, N = 65) and 2 post-surveys at the end of each semester (post-1, N = 31; post-2, N = 11) assessed students’ understanding of course components and perceptions of the program. Survey outcomes were compiled as a total understanding score (TUS).
Results: Comparing pre-1 to post-1 and post-2, understanding (P = .0026; P = .001, respectively) and development (P = .0037; P = .0019, respectively) of course competencies improved significantly. Scholarly project understanding and TUS improved significantly from pre-1 to post-1 (P = .0001; P = .0005, respectively) but not from pre-1 to post-2 (P = .0739; P = .0665, respectively). Understanding and development of individualized learning plans did not significantly improve across either interval. Consistent mentor groupings and integration into required sessions were rated most favorably among design components.
Conclusions: Participation positively affected students’ self-assessed success in competency-based learning. Structured peer mentorship embedded in existing curricula may address limitations of hierarchical models by providing scalable support for students in longitudinal medical education settings.