AbstractBackground“New Friends” at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison pairs undergraduate and graduate students with mentors living with mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias (ADRD) and their caregivers. The 7‐month program aims to improve student understanding of living with memory loss, cultivate relationships beyond clinical practice, and bolster interest in dementia care. Modeled on Northwestern University’s Buddy Program, the in‐person program transitioned to a virtual format during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We sought to evaluate program impact following this transition.MethodsThroughout the program, students met with mentors monthly in‐person, by phone, or virtually, and documented their experiences. Student presentations were led by various guest speakers.Students were tested on dementia knowledge before and after the program, and asked to rate improvement in understanding, including academic and psychosocial knowledge (1 = minimal; 5 = great). Mentors completed a reflection survey about their experience and its impact on self‐esteem, self‐efficacy and quality of life. Findings before and after the format transition were summarized.ResultsFrom 2014‐2019, 72 students enrolled in the program, compared to 115 from 2020‐2022 during the virtual/hybrid format. Student knowledge increased for both in‐person and virtual/hybrid formats (p‐value<0.01). Self‐rated academic and psychosocial knowledge gains were similar between formats (mean 3.9 and 4.2, respectively, for in‐person participants, and 3.6 and 3.8, respectively, for virtual/hybrid participants). Two‐thirds (66%) of in‐person and 77% of virtual/hybrid respondents indicated having had misconceptions on ADRD challenged. Mentors were satisfied and rated improvements owing to the program with both formats. Many mentors have participated for multiple years.ConclusionThe “New Friends” transition to a virtual/hybrid format provided increased flexibility, access and was well received by participants. The program had a positive impact on student knowledge and misconceptions. Many participated in the program because of their interest in aging, geriatrics, or dementia. Extending the program to students, whether virtually or in‐person, may broaden their approach to treating patients with memory loss and increase the number of students pursuing work in the field of dementia care. Further efforts to evaluate the longitudinal impact of this program are underway.