KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF STUDENTS REGARDING THE FORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION

Background: Medical students have a very extensive curriculum and a demanding time period during their undergraduate studies (1-5 years). Research has shown that medical students experience a high level of stress affecting their social, emotional as well as mental health. According to many studies formal mentoring is considered as a key to overcome these problems. Currently Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is deficient in formal mentorship program for medical education, the purpose of this article was to determine the presence of the programme and to establish the basis for formal mentoring with in medical colleges. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 300 students, both male and female were selected from two medical colleges on convenient basis. Sample size was determined by the Cochran equation with 95% confidence interval. A closed ended, original questionnaire was developed in English language from valid questionnaires of similar studies conducted in past. Data was analysed using MS Excel and SPSS version 22. Results: Total of 150 Data of 270 (90%) respondents was analysed after drop outs. Among the study participants 114 (42.2%) students had No knowledge about mentoring for medical education; 153 (96.8 %) students responded that mentoring would help in the academic to professional development of the students. Majority of the students (n=152, 96.2 %) respondents stated that there was a strong need of formal mentorship programme in their medical college. Conclusion: Knowledge regarding function and structure of mentorship program among students was below average. However a strong positive attitude to initiate the mentorship Programme was observed among respondents.