Exploring the Impact of Peer Mentorship on Clinical Skills and Decision-Making in Dental Students: A Study at Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College
Mian Bilal Ahmad, Myda Tahir
Abstract
Background: Clinical skills and decision-making ability are important for successful dental students. Peer mentorship, a peer-assisted learning strategy, has been increasingly adopted to support this development. Peer mentorship involves senior students guiding junior peers by offering academic support, emotional encouragement, and practical advice.
Objective: To explore the impact of a peer mentorship program on dental students’ clinical and decision-making skills at Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College.
Methodology: An Akhtar Saeed Peer Mentorship Program (AS-PMP) 2023-2024 was conducted through one-on-one sessions, group discussions, and practical workshops among senior dental students (mentors), and junior students (mentees). The program’s impact was assessed using a nested mixed methodology design, incorporating both quantitative (pre- and post-program surveys, OSCE scores) and qualitative (focus groups, thematic analysis) data. A total of 150 students participated, including 50 mentors and 100 mentees.
Results: The quantitative evaluation demonstrated significant improvement amongst the mentees, with clinical skills scores rising from 3.1 to 4.2 and decision-making proficiency from 3.0 to 4.1 on a 5-point Likert scale. Mentees enhanced OSCE scores from 68 to 82% and mentors from 85 to 90%. The qualitative data suggested that the program effectively established a supportive learning environment, increasing targeted clinical skills and offering reciprocal benefits for mentors and mentees.
Conclusion: Implementing the peer mentorship program at Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College significantly improved dental students’ clinical skills and decision-making abilities. The program has certain limitations; nevertheless, its potential to improve dental education is encouraging.
Keywords: Peer mentorship, dental education, clinical skills, decision-making, peer-assisted learning, professional development, dental students