Mentoring Support Research Articles

Mentorship program to elevate journal quality and rankings in Indonesia: a case study

This article explores the best practices of mentorship programs in all journals at Universitas Airlangga. The university has established a journal mentoring team, as mandated by the rector’s regulation, which is responsible for guiding journals through preparation, submission, management, policy, and overall quality improvement. A case study was conducted to explore the mentoring mechanisms at Universitas Airlangga. Mentors were selected from among experienced editors at the university, each with a distinguished background in managing their own journals. The mentorship program successfully led to the indexing of 14 journals in Scopus, one in Web of Science (WoS), 85 in the Science and Technology Index (SINTA), and 60 in Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The strategies used can be shared with other universities to assist their journal editors. The mentorship program at Universitas Airlangga has significantly improved the quality and international visibility of its academic journals. This is evidenced by the successful indexing of numerous journals in prestigious databases including Scopus, WoS, SINTA, and DOAJ. The structured mentoring, clear targets, and comprehensive institutional support were instrumental in achieving these results. This model serves as a scalable best practice for other universities seeking to improve their journal quality and global standing.

Impact of Gender Stereotypes on Career Advancement in STEM Fields in Tanzania

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of gender stereotypes on career advancement in STEM fields in Tanzania. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In Tanzania, gender stereotypes significantly impede career advancement for women in STEM fields, creating barriers to their professional growth and development. Research reveals that societal expectations and cultural biases often undervalue women’s contributions and limit their opportunities for advancement. Women face challenges such as unequal access to resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities compared to their male counterparts. These stereotypes contribute to lower representation of women in leadership positions within STEM sectors, further perpetuating gender disparities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social role theory, stereotype threat theory & expectancy-value theory may be used to anchor future studies on impact of gender stereotypes on career advancement in STEM fields in Tanzania. Establish mentorship programs that pair LGBTQ+ individuals with supportive mentors who can provide guidance and advocacy. Implement and enforce policies that promote diversity and inclusion in hiring and promotion practices within STEM fields.

Mentorship Interventions Personalized Support Systems Across Varying Higher Educational Settings: Recommendations for Personalized Educator Support

This mixed methods case study examines the experiences of mentors and mentees in a personalized mentorship support program (PMSP) at a midwestern public higher education (MPHE) institution as the program transitioned from a pilot phase dedicated to historically underrepresented educators (HUE) into year two, which sought to position the program as a viable system of institution-wide faculty support and retention. Results from year 1 and 2 of the program indicate a closing gap between faculty mentors and mentees for the outcomes of career success, intention to stay, and job satisfaction. This study provides recommendations for program strategy at varying higher education institutions to better promote program innovation and future research.

Graduate Student Resilience: Exploring Influential Success Factors in U.S. Graduate Education through Survey Analysis

Graduate education holds the potential to stimulate personal growth in individuals that leads to economically viable career opportunities. First-generation college students, underrepresented minorities (URM), and females often face unique obstacles that can undermine their progress in graduate programs. These obstacles may be more pervasive in fields where these students have lower enrollment, such as STEM graduate programs. The Graduate Student Success Survey+ (GSSS+) was broadly distributed to a national population of graduate students in the United States, with a particular focus on seeking the participation of students from universities that serve first-generation, URM, and female graduate students, capturing both STEM and non-STEM programs. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the survey’s validity and reliability, with 648 participants from 23 universities. A 7-factor, 40-item model was determined with the following subscales: mentor support, imposter phenomenon, financial support, microaggressions (race and gender), access and opportunity, resilience, and peer support. Item analysis revealed differences in students’ perceptions of their graduate school experiences based on gender identity, racial and ethnic groups, residency status, enrollment type, program type, and program area. Findings lead to recommendations related to financial support, mental health counseling, and access and opportunity, to enhance graduate student success.

Curriculum Indigenization in oral health professions' education worldwide: A scoping review.

To explore the literature on Indigenous content within the oral health professions' education curricula. This scoping review included all types of literature on oral health care educational programs on Indigenous content, following the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology. An initial search using "Indigenous," "education," and "oral health" as keywords informed a full search strategy for MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, EPPI, MedEdPORTAL, Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Australian Government Department of Health, and Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. The search included literature available until November 1, 2023, irrespective of language. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, and data were extracted and presented in tabular and narrative summary formats. A total of 948 records were identified, and 101 studies were chosen for full-text review. Twenty-three studies met the criteria for data extraction. Of all studies, 95.6% were published between 2007 and 2021, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. The most frequently covered content included Indigenous culture, followed by history, Indigenous oral health, and Indigenous Peoples' health. Rural and clinical placements were the most employed delivery methods, and evaluation surveys were the most employed assessment technique. Barriers to delivering an Indigenous curriculum included students' disinterest and limited interaction with Indigenous communities, while facilitators included cultural immersion and supportive mentorship. Despite progress in integrating Indigenous content into oral health education, challenges persist. Prioritizing Indigenous perspectives, community partnerships, and standardized assessment tools is needed. Future research should focus on long-term impacts and best practices for Indigenous curriculum development and delivery.

How do undergraduate nursing students learn to care for families and informal caregivers? A qualitative study with a grounded theory approach

BackgroundNurses play a crucial role in caring for families of ill individuals in care, requiring high-quality relational and communication skills to care for them. Yet these skills remain underutilized, leading to reported issues of inadequate inclusion and communication. Education is crucial to enhance nurses' competencies in caring for families and informal caregivers. AimTo explore the learning process of undergraduate nursing students to care for families and informal caregivers. DesignQualitative study with a grounded theory approach. SettingsBachelor's degree in nursing from two off-sites of a university and four local health units collaborating with the university in North Italy. Participants15 undergraduate nursing students, 10 nurse preceptors, and 10 nurse clinical teachers. MethodsWe adopted initial and theoretical sampling and conducted semi-structured interviews from December 2023 to January 2024, lasting 16 to 62 min. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed through open, selective, and theoretical coding. ResultsWe developed a theory of learning for undergraduate nursing students in caring for families and informal caregivers, comprising two themes, “Learning areas” and “Learning antecedents,” and nine categories. Learning areas involve five stages of learning to care for families and informal caregivers and the most frequent opportunities to interact with families and informal caregivers. The five stages are “Seeing and considering families and informal caregivers”, “Assessing the families' and informal caregivers' needs and resources”, “Preparing for and planning intervention with families and informal caregivers”, “Acting with families and informal caregivers”, “Reflecting on the intervention with families and informal caregivers”. Learning antecedents encompass student characteristics, interpersonal relationships, and the clinical training setting. ConclusionsIn this study, we delineate a five-stage learning process for undergraduate nursing students to care for families and informal caregivers, influenced by individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors. We emphasised the importance of relational skill development, tailored learning experiences, and supportive mentorship in enhancing students' preparedness to engage with and support families in healthcare settings. The developed theory provides a foundational framework for designing educational interventions to optimise nursing students' capacities in this domain.

Perspectives on Inclusion: Near-Peer Mentoring Relationships Between College Students With & Without Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Abstract Date Presented 03/23/24 Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) increasingly enroll in inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs and receive peer mentor support. This session will address near-peer mentor perspectives and outcomes in supporting students with IDD in IPSE settings. Primary Author and Speaker: Meghan Blaskowitz Additional Authors and Speakers: Alia Pustorino-Clevenger, Samantha Smith, Anna Stonesifer Contributing Authors: Ariana Amaya, Cassidy Shirlow

Influence of Mentor-Mentee Interaction Patterns on Student Teachers’ Learning to Teach in Public Secondary Schools During Teaching Practicum

This study examined the contribution of mentor-mentee interaction patterns on student teachers’ learning to teach during Teaching practicum (TP). The study objectives are: (i) to understand the interaction patterns between mentor teachers and student teachers during teaching practicum, (ii) to establish how those interaction patterns develop student teachers’ learning to teach. This study adopted a qualitative research approach using in-depth face-to-face interviews conducted twice for each interviewee of not less than forty (40) minutes as part of data collection. The interviews were carried out to six (6) third-year student-teachers who were posted in two neighbouring public secondary schools as their TP sites. The study found that: Mentorship relies much on interpersonal relationships and interaction patterns between student teachers and their mentor teachers. Four (4) possible interaction patterns in TP stations were identified. In practice, there is mentor teacher – student teacher, student teacher – students, student-teacher - student teacher, student teacher – resources interactions. Teacher education programs, policies, and documents recognize and have been stressing the importance and role of mentoring in student teachers, as part of their professional development. Student teachers have had higher expectations of the teachers they want to be in the future, but their way through mentor support is unclear and once they face “reality shock” during TP their efficacy becomes low. This leads to less motivation for a teaching career and increases the attrition rate of future teachers. In-service teachers do not assume the crucial role of assisting student teachers in learning to teach. In such circumstances, some student teachers have been struggling to develop their professional future due to limited mentorship in secondary schools. The study recommends enhanced teacher training programs and continuous in-service professional development models to accommodate sensitive mentorship skills

A Web-Based Resilience-Enhancing Program to Improve Resilience, Physical Activity, and Well-being in Geriatric Population: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Resilience is a protective factor in healthy aging, helping to maintain and recover physical and mental functions. The Resilience in Illness Model has proven effective in fostering resilience and well-being. Physical activity is crucial for older adults' independence and well-being, even as aging causes a progressive decline. Additionally, older adults face challenges such as spousal loss and physical disability, making preventive intervention strategies necessary. This study aims to develop and evaluate a web-based program to enhance resilience, physical activity, and well-being among community-dwelling older adults. Additionally, we aim to gather feedback on the program's strengths and limitations. A 4-week resilience-enhancing program was created, incorporating role-play and talk-in-interaction and focusing on 3 key skills: coping, control belief, and manageability. The program included scenarios such as becoming widowed and suffering a stroke, designed to engage older adults. A pilot test preceded the intervention. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program shifted from in-person to web-based sessions. A single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial was conducted. Participants aged over 65 years were recruited offline and randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. A certified resilience practitioner delivered the program. Outcomes in resilience, physical activity, and well-being were self-assessed at baseline (T0), 4 weeks (T1), and 12 weeks (T2) after the program. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate feedback. A web-based participatory program enhancing 3 skills-coping, control belief, and manageability for resilience-was well developed. Among 96 participants, 63 were randomized into the intervention group (n=31) and the control group (n=32). The mean age in the intervention group was 69.27 (SD 3.08) years and 74.84 (SD 6.23) years in the control group. Significant between-group differences at baseline were found in age (t45.6=-4.53, P<.001) and physical activity at baseline (t61=2.92, P=.005). No statistically significant between-group differences over time were observed in resilience (SE 7.49, 95% CI -10.74 to 18.61, P=.60), physical activity (SE 15.18, 95% CI -24.74 to 34.74, P=.74), and well-being (SE 3.74, 95% CI -2.68 to 11.98, P=.21) after controlling for baseline differences. The dropout rate was lower in the intervention group (2/31, 6%) compared with the control group (5/32, 16%). Moreover, 77% (24/31) of participants in the intervention group completed the entire program. Program feedback from the participants indicated high satisfaction with the web-based format and mentorship support. This study demonstrated that a web-based resilience-enhancing program is appropriate, acceptable, feasible, and engaging for community-dwelling older adults. The program garnered enthusiasm for its potential to optimize resilience, physical activity, and well-being, with mentorship playing a crucial role in its success. Future studies should aim to refine program content, engagement, and delivery methods to effectively promote healthy aging in this population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05808491; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05808491.

Inadequate mentoring in undergraduate research experiences: Exploring protective factors.

This study examines instances of negative mentoring among undergraduate researchers within STEM education, and specifically, the common yet subtle issue of inadequate mentoring characterized by a faculty mentor's failure to provide their mentee with adequate research, educational, career-related, or emotional support. Using data from the Mentor-Relate survey of 514 participants in the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, we identify prevalent patterns of inadequate mentoring and examine protective factors against it. Results indicate that inadequate research support is the least prevalent form, while inadequate educational and career guidance is more common, and inadequate emotional support is the most prevalent. Enhanced faculty mentoring skills emerge as a protective factor, with culturally responsive mentoring and gender concordance also playing significant protective roles. Less hierarchical mentoring structures, such as multiple faculty mentors, offer better emotional support. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive mentor training and culturally sensitive practices to mitigate inadequate mentoring in undergraduate research experiences. By promoting inclusive and supportive mentoring environments, institutions can maximize the transformative potential of undergraduate research experiences for all participants.

Cultivating purpose and internalized motivation through workplace learning

Building on prior research documenting associations between youth purpose and academic, psychological and physical well-being, this study examined the contributions of workplace learning (WPL) to youth purpose and internal motivation among 281 youth of diverse racial and ethnic identities and economic status enrolled in two high school networks offering innovatively designed WPL. Sequential regression analyses revealed that the quality of WPL, defined by mentor support for training, learning opportunities, and youth autonomy, contributed positively to youth purpose and internal motivation, beyond the negative effects of perceived social and economic barriers. Findings are discussed through the perspectives of psychology of working, decent education, self-determination theory and career construction and suggest that WPL is a promising intervention for overcoming inequities in fostering youth talent and purpose, including personal goals, meaning and intentions for social contribution.

Pembelajaran Kewirausahaan dalam Peningkatan Minat Berwirausaha di Kalangan Mahasiswa Universitas Adzkia

Entrepreneurship education can be an effective strategy and play a crucial role in introducing and fostering entrepreneurial interest among students, aiming to provide them with practical experience. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial interest of students at Universitas Adzkia. This research employs a quantitative method with simple linear regression. Primary data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to 93 respondents. The results indicate a significant and positive influence of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial interest among students of Universitas Adzkia. Various aspects of entrepreneurship education, including a comprehensive curriculum, practical experience, and mentorship support from lecturers, and how each of these aspects contributes to increasing entrepreneurial interest, are explored

Evaluation of the Arthur Project: Evidence-Based Mentoring in a Social Work Framework with a Social Justice Approach

Low-income students from underrepresented communities experience significant educational inequalities, including chronic absenteeism, mental health crises, trauma exposure, and social injustices. These conditions escalate risks of dropping out and justice system involvement. Middle-school youth must navigate intense social and emotional change. To address such challenges, The Arthur Project (TAP) provides intensive, in-school, therapeutic mentoring and family support. The program teaches students essential life skills, such as problem-solving, communication, and academic engagement. Students are empowered to strengthen their resilience, perseverance, self-actualization, and confidence. TAP provides up to 500 h of therapeutic mentoring yearly over three years, delivered individually and in small groups by social work interns. The research question was as follows: Does structured, intensive in-school therapeutic mentoring with social work interns increase the socioemotional, cognitive, noncognitive, and academic skills and engagement of underserved middle-school students? This evaluation for the school year 2022–2023 is based on the program of 200 students and 30 mentors, with quantitative mentee, mentor, teacher, and caregiver surveys and qualitative interview data. The program and evaluation methodology are described, with results and conclusions. Students showed significant improvement in all domains; mentors reported student increases in confidence, perseverance, problem-solving, and communication; and teachers and caregivers reported students’ increased academic engagement. The Arthur Project program can become a national middle-school mentoring model to address widespread student inequalities.

Breaking barriers: female and Hispanic undergraduate students experience gains in self-confidence and tolerance for obstacles during a sustainability-centered internship program in the USA

AbstractPrevious research has shown that female and Hispanic students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face more educational barriers than their non-Hispanic, male peers. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of intersectional identities in the STEM space. In an effort to bridge the gap in underrepresented students' experience, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies organizes a paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship program called the Green Teams that occurs during 10 weeks of the summer. The Green Teams Program strives to provide undergraduate students from all backgrounds–academically, economically, and demographically–an opportunity to develop their abilities in STEM fields and prepare them to enter the professional world. Based upon a survey given post-internship, self-reported learning gains for all students were analyzed to determine if the program had a significantly greater impact on students who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM in their STEM-related learning gains and their confidence in STEM disciplines. Through t-tests, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a 2-way factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Hispanic and female participants were found to report significantly higher learning gains than their counterparts in multiple STEM areas from increased tolerance for obstacles to gains in self confidence. The results of the study suggest Hispanic and female students benefit from paid work experiences in STEM with diverse peers and intentional, supportive mentoring. This research on the Green Teams Program provides insight into how this approach positively impacts STEM education of individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM. The findings may help to further guide the development of the Green Teams Program and the adoption of paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship experiences in additional academic STEM settings.

Level of Professional Competencies and Identity towards Performance of Beginning Teachers Mediated By Support System

The study aimed to determine the level of professional competencies and identity towards the performance of beginning teachers mediated by the support system. The main tool used in the study's descriptive methodology to collect data was a questionnaire. The study included contributions from ninety-five (95) Sariaya West District school teachers. For the statistical analysis of the data, percentage and mean were employed. The study found that most beginning teachers have highly competent professional competencies in social, self-management, communication, and leadership skills. Surveyed respondents also have highly observed motivation, commitment, and self-efficacy were observed. The school provides high mentoring and technical assistance support while the support system moderates. Performance is satisfactory in advisory tasks, coaching, teaching strategy, and classroom assessment. Professional competencies and identity levels are not significantly related to the support system and performance. The researcher recommended that school administrators update teachers' profiles with seminars and trainings attended, provide mentoring sessions, and attend workshops on professional competencies and identities. Parallel studies, action research, and quarterly activities can improve teachers' performance. Attending workshops can also enhance professional growth and development.

Mentor support and postgraduate research ability: the role of research self-efficacy and academic atmosphere

ABSTRACT Mentor is an important leader of graduate learning and growth. Whether the mentor’s education and guidance are timely and accurate is the key to improve the quality of graduate education. Based on the social information processing theory and the learning engagement theory, this study constructed a research model with postgraduate research ability as the dependent variable, mentor support as the independent variable, research learning engagement and research self-efficacy as the mediating variables, and academic atmosphere as the moderating variable. Using SEM and Bootstrapping methods, this study conducted an empirical analysis on the multi-time point data of 641 graduate students collected through questionnaires from February 2023 to June 2023. The results show that the mentor support positively affects postgraduate research ability; Research self-efficacy and research learning engagement mediate the relationship between mentor support and postgraduate research ability; Academic atmosphere can not only moderate the direct effect of mentor support on research learning engagement and research self-efficacy, but also moderate the indirect effect of mentor support on postgraduate research ability through research learning engagement and research self-efficacy.

Mentoring as a complex adaptive system – a systematic scoping review of prevailing mentoring theories in medical education

BackgroundEffective mentorship is an important component of medical education with benefits to all stakeholders. In recent years, conceptualization of mentorship has gone beyond the traditional dyadic experienced mentor-novice mentee relationship to include group and peer mentoring. Existing theories of mentorship do not recognize mentoring’s personalized, evolving, goal-driven, and context-specific nature. Evidencing the limitations of traditional cause-and-effect concepts, the purpose of this review was to systematically search the literature to determine if mentoring can be viewed as a complex adaptive system (CAS).MethodsA systematic scoping review using Krishna’s Systematic Evidence-Based Approach was employed to study medical student and resident accounts of mentoring and CAS in general internal medicine and related subspecialties in articles published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2023 in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, ERIC, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. The included articles underwent thematic and content analysis, with the themes identified and combined to create domains, which framed the discussion.ResultsOf 5,704 abstracts reviewed, 134 full-text articles were evaluated, and 216 articles were included. The domains described how mentoring relationships and mentoring approaches embody characteristics of CAS and that mentorship often behaves as a community of practice (CoP). Mentoring’s CAS-like features are displayed through CoPs, with distinct boundaries, a spiral mentoring trajectory, and longitudinal mentoring support and assessment processes.ConclusionRecognizing mentorship as a CAS demands the rethinking of the design, support, assessment, and oversight of mentorship and the role of mentors. Further study is required to better assess the mentoring process and to provide optimal training and support to mentors.

Mental wellbeing of student paramedics before and after first ambulance placement

Background: Emergency ambulance workers are at risk of poor mental wellbeing. Student paramedics in the UK attend ambulance placements, which expose them to the same stresses; they also have their own stress factors. Little research has explored how these placements affect student mental wellbeing. Aim: This pilot study aims to address this gap into the ways in which students'mental wellbeing may be affected by ambulance placements. Methods: A mixed-method approach, using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), with two questionnaires including wellbeing scores and open questions, was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data on first-year student paramedics before and after their first ambulance placement. Results: Twenty participants were included in the final analysis, three-quarters of whom witnessed at least one traumatic event during their placement. There was a statistically insignificant difference between wellbeing scores before and after the placement. There were five themes: positive learning experience; theory-practice gap; student-mentor relationship; student resilience; and career consolidation. Conclusion: Mental wellbeing did not change significantly after the first ambulance placement. Placement was overall a positive experience that confirmed career choice and narrowed the theory-practice gap. Mentor support was protective during traumatic events. A similar, larger study could track student wellbeing throughout their course and identify factors that may protect or damage wellbeing.

Addressing the Decline in Clinical Skills: A Call for Comprehensive Educational Reform

Despite technological advances, clinical skills are the foundation of medical practice. Taking a comprehensive clinical history, performing physical examinations, and communicating effectively are crucial for high-quality patient care. Medical students need to focus on developing strong clinical skills to ensure they are well-prepared for their careers and adapt to the evolving field of medicine through continual practice and refinement.1 The medical community is worried about declining essential clinical skills among undergraduate medical students.2,3 This editorial aims to analyze the reasons for the decline and suggest evidence-based methods to address the situation. 05885.0258063. The declining standards of clinical skills among medical students can be attributed to the widespread adoption of technology-based learning, which has the potential to diminish the importance of traditional hands-on bedside teaching.4 Technology should enhance, not replace, practical clinical experiences. Practical training improves the clinical abilities, expertise, and self-assurance of medical students.5 Moreover, the growing magnitude and expansion of medical curricula provide difficulties in the development of educational programs without ample time for bedside practical teaching.6,7 There is frequently an excessive focus on remembering facts rather than on cultivating clinical reasoning abilities.8 The reduced patient interaction during medical school, due to increased reliance on simulations and less time in clinical rotations and bedside teaching, hampers the development of clinical skills.9 External factors such as limited time and extensive paperwork may affect the quality of patient encounters. Efficient communication is crucial for building good relationships with patients, obtaining accurate medical histories, and ensuring patient understanding and adherence to treatment.9 Insufficient training in communication skills can result in less-than-ideal interactions between patients and healthcare providers and can also contribute to errors in diagnosis and medical treatment.10 The provision of trained faculty for teaching medical students is an issue worldwide. Insufficient supervision and feedback during clinical rotations hinder the development of essential clinical skills.11 Larger student cohorts reduce the opportunities for individual students to practice and receive personalized instruction in clinical skills.12 Medical education often prioritizes theoretical testing over practical examinations and undervalues communication skills training. Variability in clinical experiences at different medical schools can lead to inconsistencies in skill acquisition. The scarcity of skilled clinicians as role models impacts students’ learning. Economic constraints and modern healthcare pressures limit opportunities for thorough patient interactions and clinical training.13 THE WAY FORWARD Educational institutions should prioritize hands-on clinical experiences throughout the curriculum to improve students’ diagnostic and communication abilities. These experiences should include simulation-based learning, standardized patients, and longitudinal clerkships. Faculty members need support and resources for effective clinical mentorship and development. Reflective practice should be integrated into the curriculum to enhance self-awareness and critical thinking. Open communication and mentorship programs between students and faculty can strengthen medical training and promote continual learning. To address declining clinical proficiency among medical students, institutions can adopt evidence-based approaches including curriculum changes, faculty training, promoting reflective thinking, collaboration among healthcare professionals, and fostering a culture of ongoing learning. Regulatory bodies should ensure adequate time for bedside teaching and appropriate assessment weightage.

Special considerations for the use of AI tools by PEERs as a learning and communication aid.

There is no doubt that navigating academia is a formidable challenge, particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds who face additional barriers at every turn. In such an environment, efforts to create learning and training environments that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive can feel like an uphill battle. We believe that harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help in leveling the playing field. While AI cannot supplant the need for supportive mentorship, it can serve as a vital supplement, offering guidance and assistance to those who may lack access to adequate avenues of support. Embracing AI in this context should not be stigmatized, as it may represent a vital lifeline for underrepresented individuals who often face systemic biases while forging their own paths in pursuit of success and belonging in academia. AI tools should not be gatekept from these individuals, particularly by those in positions of power and privilege within the scientific community. Instead, we argue, institutions should make a strong commitment to educating their community members on how to ethically harness these tools.