Closing the Loop: Exploring Student-Mentors' Dual Roles in a Longitudinal Group Mentorship Course

Peer mentorship has emerged as an important strategy for supporting medical students, demonstrating multiple benefits for mentees and mentors. However, to our knowledge, no studies have focused on medical students' simultaneous experiences as students (receiving mentorship) and near-peer mentors (providing mentorship). This study explored students' experiences as students and mentors in a longitudinal, group mentorship course.

The authors used interpretive description to explore how senior medical students acting as near-peer mentors understood their dual roles. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between April and October 2023. Additionally, students were asked to record audio diaries. Using an iterative, reflexive approach, the authors conducted a constant comparative data analysis.

20 students completed 2 interviews and audio diaries. Four themes were identified: Participants understood their dual roles to be complementary, highlighting a continuity between being students and near-peer mentors, which they called "closing the loop." Many participants cited their experiences in the course as the reason they decided to become student mentors, expressing their desire to "pay it forward." Mentorship roles reminded them of their experiences as new medical students, and "gazing backwards" helped boost their confidence and renew their empathy. Several participants drew attention to how their mentorship role helped them "imagine the future," reaffirming their desire to continue mentoring or teaching.

Being in two roles was perceived as a positive experience. Dual roles helped boost students' confidence and empathy while fostering meaningful reflection on career trajectories, findings that could help inform or enhance peer mentorship programs.