| Summary: | Objective: Mentoring programmes are important elements
of the personal and professional development of
medical students. Mentors must focus on the real issues
that students face during the mentoring process. This
study explores the need for mentoring programmes for
first-year medical students at the Universiti Sains,
Malaysia (USM).
Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted with
medical students who were in the early phases of their
training. Purposive sampling was employed to select the
study participants. Data collection was carried out using
semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded
and transcribed verbatim, and they were later analysed
using NVivo 10 software and employing open coding,
axial coding and selective coding techniques. Nine medical
students participated in the study. To ensure trustworthiness
of the data, member checks, an audit trail, the
Cohen kappa index, and peer checking were utilized.
Results: Based on thematic analysis, four themes and
seven categories were identified. Themes include soft
skills, an academic overview, social skills and motivation
from mentors. Categories include time management,
study skills, communication skills, social adjustment,
social activities, moral support and personal support.
Conclusion: Results indicate that mentoring is essential
to medical students in developing their identity and
professional maturity. The effectiveness of the mentoring
programme is supported by several factors that, as a
whole, lead to the development of a professional
graduate.
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