A Mixed-Methods Study of the Assembly and Analysis of a Near-Peer Mentorship Program for First-Year Medical Students - Initiation, Challenges, and Successes

Areeba Amjad; Afrose Liaquat; Hania Ahmer; Muhammad Areeb Abdullah; Nahin Sani; Ibrahim Bin Huzaifa; Mashal Aziz Rana; Arham Yahya Rizwan Khan

doi:10.37185/

Authors

Areeba Amjad Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan
Afrose Liaquat Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan
Hania Ahmer Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Muhammad Areeb Abdullah NORI Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
Nahin Sani Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1736-9608
Ibrahim Bin Huzaifa Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Mashal Aziz Rana Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan
Arham Yahya Rizwan Khan Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37185/

Keywords:

Educational Measurement, Education, Medical, Mentors, Peer Group, Social Support, Students

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to establish and evaluate the impact of a student-led near-peer mentorship program on the academic performance, social adjustment, and mental well-being of first-year medical students, and to assess the professional development of the mentors involved.
Study Design: A mixed-methods study design.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Department of Medical Education, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan, from August 2022 to August 2023.
Methods: The RISE (Raise, Inspire, Support, Empower) program consisted of five founding members from second and third years, one faculty advisor, 18 advisors, and 30 mentors selected based on academic performance, empathy, and mentorship aptitude. Mentor performance was periodically evaluated through structured questionnaires. Mentee satisfaction was assessed through informal, recorded sessions, campus wide consensus, and professor evaluations.
Results: Most mentees (89.8%) reported that the program met their expectations. Additionally, 93.2% felt mentors provided effective guidance, and 94.3% expressed interest in maintaining long-term mentee-mentor relationships. Multiple focus group sessions with the mentors and mentees demonstrated overwhelmingly positive perceptions of the RISE mentorship program.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate an overall positive response, suggesting that near-peer mentorship programs are feasible and may serve as a foundation for institutionalized mentorship initiatives in medical schools and in Pakistan overall.

How to cite this: Amjad A, Liaquat A, Ahmer H, Abdullah MA, Sani N, Huzaifa IB, Rana MA, Khan AYR. A Mixed-Methods Study of the
Assembly and Analysis of a Near-Peer Mentorship Program for First-Year Medical Students - Initiation, Challenges, and Successes. Life
and Science. 2026; 7(3): 423-428. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.1094