Enhancing Visibility and Mentorship for Future Women in Medicine: A Qualitative Study

Women in medicine have historically faced slower career advancement and limited visibility compared to their male counterparts. While progress has been made, disparities persist, particularly in mentorship opportunities. Babaria et al. (2011) found that female medical students receive less mentorship from senior faculty than their male peers, contributing to gaps in professional development and career guidance. Recognizing that medical students may not be able to change systemic mentorship barriers at higher institutional levels, we aim to address this issue by fostering mentorship at an earlier stage - among pre-medical students. Our project seeks to assess the impact of peer-led mentorship events on pre-medical students' knowledge of the medical school application process and their sense of connectedness with current female medical students.

We will host an interactive mentorship event led by female medical students, providing premedical students with insights into medical education, career pathways, and challenges faced by women in medicine. Pre- and post-event surveys will assess participants' baseline understanding of the medical training process and quantify changes in their feelings of mentorship and support.

Our event, scheduled for April 3 in Sioux Falls, will generate data on how structured, peer-led mentorship impacts pre-medical students' perceptions of support and preparedness for medical school. We anticipate that fostering early connections between pre-medical and medical students will help bridge the mentorship gap and encourage more women to pursue medicine with confidence.

By taking an active role in mentorship at the pre-medical level, medical students can contribute to greater visibility and support for future women in medicine. This initiative offers a scalable model for addressing gender disparities in mentorship and professional development.