Alexander Nicole L, Sheu Jessica C, Villagran Alexandra M, Guerrini Christi J, Storch Eric A
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2021 Sep 30;35(1):35-42. doi: 10.1080/08998280.2021.1980357. eCollection 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the usual processes and support systems related to applying to medical school in the United States. The Texas-Wide Premedical Mentoring Program (TPMP) was established to pair medical student mentors in Texas with medical school applicants attending Texas colleges and universities. Our objective was to demonstrate the effect of the TPMP on application preparedness and self-reported mental health outcomes of program participants. A survey was developed to understand the program's impact on both mentees and mentors. Participants were sent a survey link 3 months after the TPMP launch. In total, 313 participants, comprising 62% premedical student mentees and 38% medical student mentors, completed the survey. Mentees reported a significantly positive effect of the program on anxiety, uncertainty of acceptance, connection to medicine, and making the road to medical school seem less impossible. After participation, mentees felt less alone and reported a positive impact on their perception of the application process. The TPMP positively impacted the mental wellness of both mentees and mentors, and about 80% of mentors felt more fulfilled despite not participating in clinical duties in light of suspensions. In conclusion, program participation was associated with decreasing application knowledge gaps, easing anxiety, and providing alliance for mentees. The TPMP had a similarly positive influence on the mental wellness of mentees and mentors as well as contributed to medical student mentors' sense of fulfillment.
新冠疫情扰乱了与美国医学院校申请相关的常规流程和支持体系。德州全区域医学预科指导项目（TPMP）旨在将德州的医学生导师与就读于德州高校的医学院校申请者进行配对。我们的目标是证明TPMP对项目参与者的申请准备情况和自我报告的心理健康结果的影响。我们设计了一项调查，以了解该项目对学员和导师的影响。在TPMP启动3个月后，向参与者发送了调查链接。共有313名参与者完成了调查，其中62%是医学预科学生学员，38%是医学生导师。学员们报告称，该项目对焦虑、录取不确定性、与医学的联系以及让通往医学院的道路看起来不那么遥不可及产生了显著的积极影响。参与项目后，学员们感觉不再那么孤单，并表示该项目对他们对申请过程的看法产生了积极影响。TPMP对学员和导师的心理健康都产生了积极影响，尽管由于暂停临床工作，约80%的导师没有参与临床职责，但他们仍感到更有成就感。总之，参与该项目与减少申请知识差距、缓解焦虑以及为学员提供支持有关。TPMP对学员和导师的心理健康也有类似的积极影响，并有助于增强医学生导师的成就感。
