Transition mentorship for spina bifida patients with the JUMP program: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The transition from pediatric to adult care is challenging for patients and families with spina bifida (SB). Lifelong care relationships yield to new care environments that are typically larger, less personal, and less engaged with the nuances of SB care. Adolescence and young adulthood are often characterized by personal and psychological stresses due to factors independent of illness or chronic medical complexity. Surveys have demonstrated that transition is associated with uncertainty, anxiety, and elevated risk of adverse events for many SB patients. To help mitigate this, the authors developed a trial mentorship program between teen patients with SB and undergraduate/medical students. This study analyzes and presents the initial outcomes from this program. METHODS: The authors created the Join, Unite, Motivate, and Prepare (JUMP) program to improve readiness for the transition process. The mentee target population was patients aged 13-19 years receiving care at the authors' SB clinic. Mentors were screened/approved undergraduate/medical students who volunteered to participate and successfully completed online training in mentorship. Upon enrollment, each patient set a combination of clinical, self, and parent/guardian goals using the individualized transition plan. These goals were shared with the mentor, mentee, parent/guardian, and physician. To monitor success, the SB program director routinely met with each mentor to discuss progress made and areas of growth. These included continuous quantitative and qualitative goal setting and failures that needed to be addressed for each agenda. RESULTS: Thirteen mentor-mentee matches were created over 9 months. Of the 13 matches, 6 had more than 5 communications after the initial meeting, and 1 mentor-mentee match is still in contact today. Noted success in the program has been through mentees gaining employment, applying for scholarships, starting college, and connecting with others who are going through similar circumstances. Challenges have arisen through failure to follow-up after the initial office visit, risk with using the virtual platform, and wide geographic dispersion of both mentors and mentees across the authors' state. CONCLUSIONS: Transition from pediatric to adult care for adolescents with SB has proven to be a large hurdle. Easing this process through well-thought-out, interactive processes has the potential to improve readiness, increase patient autonomy, and provide exposure to the adult healthcare community. However, the mentorship model, in the SB setting, has not proven to be the remedy.

Enhancing Infection Preventionist Certification Success Through a Structured Training Program.

BACKGROUND: Certification in infection control and prevention (CIC) is a standardized indicator of the knowledge and competencies essential for effective infection prevention practice. Evidence measuring success of training programs for infection control certification is limited. METHODS: From 2017 through 2023, 51 novice infection preventionists (IP) were enrolled in a training program which combined didactic learning, application of knowledge in practice, and mentorship from advanced practice and near-peer IPs. Participants were tracked through completion of certification examination and pass rates were compared to rates for 2023 CIC candidates. RESULTS: All participants engaged in the training program attempted the CIC examination. The training group had a pass rate of 98%. This is 27% higher than the most recent rate published by Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) of 71%. DISCUSSION: Participants were significantly more likely to pass the CIC exam on the first try, showing that a supported, competency-based training program can be successful in supporting novice IPs in certification success. CONCLUSIONS: Building foundational knowledge on key concepts in infection prevention and control and enhancing learning through supervised, direct application of skills improves CIC certification exam pass rates and supports progression of early career IPs to more independent practice.

Planning a sustainable neurosurgery mentorship program in a war-torn country: experience from Iraq.

The importance of mentorships in medical education and neurosurgery is highly attributed to the support and encouragement of the advances and learning opportunities for medical students and junior neurosurgeons. Planning a mentorship program according to the target audience offers to satisfy different interests and enhance education. One of the main issues with most of the already implemented programs is the sustainability and inability to maintain continuous cycles of mentorship, which have a negative impact and have led to an interrupted pattern of learning which eventually leads to a decline in the engagement of participants and loss of interest. This problem is most pronounced in war-torn countries, with Iraq as an example, where external circumstances lead to an arrest in the educational process and a depletion of the resources useful for such programs and training courses. This paper aims to address the main pathways essential in planning a sustainable mentorship program in a war-torn country by highlighting our experience in maintaining an ongoing mentorship with nine consecutive courses over the last 6 years in Iraq.

Voices of the accelerated: key themes when considering implementation of an accelerated medical school program.

In this rapid communication, accelerated undergraduate medical education is examined using prior literature as well as experiences of those who have completed or are in the process of completing accelerated medical curricula. The Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP) hosts an annual multi-institutional conference for all its members. During the meeting in July 2023, a virtual panel was convened from multiple constituent programs (N = 4) including medical students (N = 2), resident physicians (N = 4), and faculty (N = 2). Panel participants represented current learners or graduates from accelerated pathways of varying specialties (N = 5) to share firsthand experiences about acceleration to an audience representing over 25 medical schools. Five key themes were identified for accelerated students and trainees: Reduced debt as motivating factor to accelerate, Feeling prepared for residency, Ideal accelerated students are driven, Ability to form early professional relationships, and Less time for additional clinical experiences. Discourse from the CAMPP panel can inform current and developing accelerated programs at institutions looking to create or improve accelerated learning.

Learning to Learn Independently: Guiding Students to Develop Self-Directed Learning Skills During Medical Student Independent Research Projects-Findings from an Australian University.

Introduction: Most medical schools offer students the opportunity to conduct independent research projects in order to learn about evidence-based medicine. This study aimed to explore the experience of students, graduates, and supervisors during an independent research project through the lens of self-directed learning. Methods: Students and recent graduates were asked to complete an anonymous survey about their experiences. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a purposeful sample of 11 students, 14 graduates, and 25 supervisors. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted and themes were refined through the lens of self-directed learning. Results: Most participants agreed that the independent research project could enable students to develop valuable self-directed learning skills. Participants commented on the importance of the research mentor, faculty support structures, and membership of a research team. Participants who were not well supported described feeling distressed and isolated. Discussion: Medical student involvement in independent research projects can develop self-directed learning skills in the presence of a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a research supervisor, structured guidelines and support from the faculty, and membership of a research team. The development of self-directed learning skills should be part of the learning outcomes of any independent student research project. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-024-02054-4.

Evaluating a clinical mentorship intervention on maternal and neonatal complications in primary health facilities in Blantyre district, Malawi: A longitudinal analysis of the Global Action in Nursing program.

BACKGROUND: While Malawi has made great strides increasing the number of facility-based births, maternal and neonatal mortality remains high. An intervention started in 2019 provided short-course training followed by year-long longitudinal bedside mentorship for nurse midwives at seven health facilities in Blantyre district. The intervention was initiated following invitation from the district to improve outcomes for patients during childbirth. This study examined the impact of the intervention on the reporting of obstetric and neonatal complications and related care. METHODS: Patient level data were collected from the District Health Information System 2 database from intervention and non-intervention facilities. Bivariate analysis explored the impact of longitudinal bedside mentorship on select District Health Information System 2 variables at six-month intervals. Outcomes were then analyzed using nonlinear quantile mixed models to better account for the impact of time and clustering at the facility level. RESULTS: Significant changes were found in the reporting of obstetric and neonatal complications over time at intervention facilities compared to non-intervention facilities. Intervention facilities showed statistically significant increases in the reporting of prolonged labor, pre/eclampsia, fetal distress, retained placenta, and premature labor. There was also a statistically significant decrease in the reporting of no complications in the multivariate model (95%CI: -0.8 to -0.2). In both the bivariate and multivariate models, the reporting of 'None' significantly decreased (0.8 % median), while the reporting of prematurity (0.2 % median) and asphyxia (0.3 % median) both significantly increased. The missingness of data at intervention facilities decreased to almost zero compared to non-intervention facilities. DISCUSSION: The increase in reported maternal and neonatal complications suggests improved early identification of complications at the facility level. The improved accuracy of patient data from intervention facilities shows the impact mentorship has on data quality which is crucial for the allocation of resources. By highlighting the apparent dose-response relationship of longitudinal bedside mentorship, this study will inform the broader use of mentorship in training programs. Future research is needed to explore the impact of longitudinal mentorship on quality of care.

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

BACKGROUND: Effective 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). METHODS: A 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. RESULTS: Of 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. CONCLUSION: Recognizing 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.

The influence of supervisory support on clinical learning as experienced by Czech Nursing and health professional students in the context of patient safety events: A qualitative study.

AIM: To explore the influence of supervisory and mentoring relationships on the clinical learning experiences of Czech Nursing and health professional students in the context of patient safety events BACKGROUND: Clinical experience is integral to healthcare education, shaping skills, behaviours, values and professional identity. During clinical placements, students may encounter memorable patient safety events and experience varied reactions from mentors/supervisors/others. Some research has highlighted challenges faced by students on clinical placement. Few studies involve multiple professions, most emanating from Western Europe, the UK, the USA and Australia with little relating to central European countries such as the Czech Republic. DESIGN: Two stage interpretivist qualitative study based in social constructionism METHODS: Convenience sample across 13 undergraduate and 18 postgraduate health professions courses. Stage 1 (2022): using SLIPPS Learning Event Recording Tool translated into Czech. 20 students' (Midwifery=11, Nursing=1, Paramedic=1, Occupational therapy =7) submitted 21 patient safety learning event narratives. Stage 2 (2022): Focus group with 2 nursing and nine midwifery students. Phased thematic analysis involving multiple researchers. RESULTS: Three themes illustrate the circumstances and impact of placement mentoring/supervision experiences, conceptualised as: 'Clinical and Emotional Companionship', 'Clinical and Emotional Abandonment' and 'Sense of agency - Professional and personal growth'. 'Companionship' reflected the students' feelings of being welcomed, respected, heard, trusted and supported. Conversely 'abandonment' emerged from feelings of being unheard, vulnerable, humiliated, afraid, leaving students feeling abandoned, lonely and 'useless'. Notwithstanding these conditions, students showed the ability to identify patient safety issues with agency evident in reactions such as stepping-in to try to ameliorate a situation, rather than speaking-up. Professional and personal growth was also apparent in their narratives and a conceptual diagram illustrates the students' learning journeys in a patient safety context. CONCLUSION: The findings and new conceptualisations around abandonment and companionship emerging from this study expand the evidence base regarding the profound impact of clinical experience and mentorship/supervision on learning and students' emotional wellbeing. A sense of companionship appears to play a buffering role even in challenging circumstances of involvement in or witnessing compromised patients' safety. Allowing students a sense of belonging, to vent, grow, feel supported and safe to ask/learn - contributing to 'emotional safety for learning', promotes students' behaviour that may prevent/minimize hazards or ameliorate the aftermath. However, we must not simply blame mentors/supervisors, staff, or the students themselves- they are simply part of a much larger complex environment of professional education encompassing hidden curriculums, power dynamics and professional socialisation.

What could improve surgical data system at health facilities with high surgical volume in Ethiopia?

BACKGROUND: The effective management of surgical and anesthesia care relies on quality data and its readily availability for both patient-centered decision-making and facility-level improvement efforts. Recognizing this critical need, the Strengthening Systems for Improved Surgical Outcomes (SSISO) project addressed surgical care data management and information use practices across 23 health facilities from October 2019 to September 2022. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SSISO interventions in enhancing practices related to surgical data capture, reporting, analysis, and visualization. METHODS: This study employed a mixed method, pre- post intervention evaluation design to assess changes in data management and utilization practices at intervention facilities. The intervention packages included capacity building trainings, monthly mentorship visits facilitated by a hub-and-spoke approach, provision of data capture tools, and reinforcement of performance review teams. Data collection occurred at baseline (February - April 2020) and endline (April - June 2022). The evaluation focused on the availability and appropriate use of data capture tools, as well as changes in performance review practices. Appropriate use of registers was defined as filling all the necessary data onto the registers, and this was verified by completeness of selected key data elements in the registers. RESULTS: The proportion of health facilities with Operation Room (OR) scheduling, referral, and surgical site infection registers significantly increased by 34.8%, 56.5% and 87%, respectively, at project endline compared to baseline. Availability of OR and Anesthesia registers remained high throughout the project, at 91.3% and 95.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the appropriate use of these registers improved, with statistically significant increases observed for OR scheduling registers (34.8% increase). Increases were also noted for OR register (9.5% increase) and anesthesia register (4.5% increase), although not statistically significant. Assessing the prior three months reports, the report submissions to the Ministry of Health/Regional Health Bureau (MOH/RHB) rose from 85 to 100%, reflecting complete reporting at endline period. Additionally, the proportion of surgical teams analyzing and displaying data for informed decision-making significantly increased from 30.4% at baseline to 60.8% at endline period. CONCLUSION: The implemented interventions positively impacted surgical data management and utilization practice at intervention facilities. These positive changes were likely attributable to capacity building trainings and regular mentorship visits via hub-and-spoke approach. Hence, we recommend further investigation into the effectiveness of similar intervention packages in improving surgical data management, data analysis and visualization practices in low- and middle-income country settings.

A Novel Approach to Mentorship in Pediatric Cardiology: A Group for Women.

Gender disparities for female physicians in academic medicine are longstanding. Female pediatric cardiologists experience inequities in scholarship opportunities, promotion, leadership positions, and compensation. Mentorship groups have been successfully implemented in other subspecialities with promising results. We created a peer mentorship group for female pediatric cardiologists in the Northeast and completed a needs assessment survey of eligible participants. Our goal was to better understand the current challenges and identify resources to overcome these barriers. Our objectives were to (1) describe the creation of a novel mentorship program for female pediatric cardiologists and trainees in the Northeast United States, and (2) report the results of a formal needs assessment survey of all eligible participants. All female pediatric cardiology fellows and practicing pediatric and adult congenital heart disease specialists from 15 academic centers in New England were invited to join a free group with virtual meetings. A formal needs assessment survey was provided electronically to all eligible members. The vast majority of respondents agreed that the Women in Pediatric Cardiology (WIPC) group is a valuable networking and mentorship experience (90%) and would recommend this group to a colleague (95%). Members have witnessed or experienced inequities in a broad range of settings. Common challenges experienced by respondents include dependent care demands, lack of mentorship, inadequate research support, and inequitable clinical responsibilities. Resources suggested to overcome these barriers include mentorship, sponsorship, transparency in compensation, and physician coaching. Mentorship groups have the potential to address many challenges faced by women in medicine. The WIPC Northeast program provides a forum for community, collaboration, education, and scholarship.

A Mentee's perspective on Dr. Anthony Monaco: the quiet giant of transplantation.

A mentee's perspective of an academic journey on a path paved by a pioneering transplant surgeon-scientist.

Collective Strategies to Equip Graduating Medical Students from Racial/Ethnic Backgrounds Underrepresented in Medicine to Succeed in Residency.

Phenomenon: Trainees from racial/ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (RE URiM) in the United States face challenges of racism and micro- and macro-aggressions during residency. Many have learned to navigate these challenges through successes and failures, but there is insufficient literature providing these lessons to graduating URiM medical students. Our study among medical school alumni explores strategies to help graduating URiM students prepare for success in residency. Approach: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey (Qualtrics) from February to March 2022. Graduates from a Northeast U.S. medical school identifying as URiM were invited to participate. With emphasis on "thriving" in residency training, we solicited rating-scale responses on preparedness for residency and open-text responses on strategies for success. Standard statistical and text content analysis were used to determine findings and themes. We used Word Cloud technology to further explore word frequency and patterns. Findings: Of the 43 alumni contacted, 23 (53%) completed the survey. Participants were trained in various specialties. We identified three themes with regard to strategies for thriving in residency: (1) importance of identifying and seeking early mentorship; (2) importance of identifying and having diverse forms of support; and (3) need for more education on navigating macro/microaggressions. Insight: While advocating for systems-level interventions to create inclusive learning environments, we highlight the gap in trainee awareness of the importance of seeking early mentorship. Our study provides strategies for graduating URiM medical students to succeed in residency based on respondent experiences. These recommendations should inform medical school curricula.

Medical Student Mentorship for Undergraduate Students Underrepresented in Medicine Improves Confidence and Knowledge About Medical School Application.

Purpose Applying to medical school is accompanied by significant barriers to prospective applicants. Students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) may face additional barriers. We created a mentorship program to pair pre-medical URiM students with medical student mentors. The purpose of this study was to determine if providing mentorship and resources to URiM pre-medical students increased their knowledge and confidence regarding the medical school application process. Method A survey was emailed to mentees of the program to assess their knowledge and confidence about the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and medical school application before and after receiving mentorship. Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank tests were used for data analysis. Results A total of 28 participants completed the pilot study of which 17 gave qualitative feedback. Students reported feeling significantly more knowledgeable and confident after six months of enrollment on seven (77.8%) of the survey items. Respondents agreed that mentorship was the most valuable aspect of the program, with 13 (76.5%) respondents qualitatively endorsing the positive impact mentorship imparted to them. Conclusion Having a medical student mentor helped URiM pre-medical students feel more knowledgeable and confident about the medical school application process. By providing URiM students with additional resources, the diversity of future classes of physicians may improve and better mirror the populations they will serve.

Strategies to promote scholarship among academic hospitalists.

Academic hospitalists play an integral role in the day-to-day care of hospitalized patients, education and research. They are well-positioned to engage in scholarly and research activities and inform clinical practice. Hospital medicine also offers a compelling career path for those seeking to maintain a broad clinical focus while also pursuing opportunities in quality improvement (QI), clinical research, and medical education (MedEd) projects. Participation in these endeavors not only foster scholarly growth but also enhances career satisfaction for hospitalists. Therefore, there is a need to explore and implement feasible strategies to equip hospitalists with the knowledge and resources necessary to generate scholarship and promote academic growth within the field.

Intimidating Attendings: The Importance of Near-Peer Mentorship During Third-Year Surgical Clerkship.

INTRODUCTION: Near-peer instruction has grown in popularity in medical education; however, limited data exist to support its effectiveness. This study investigates the perceptions of near-peer style instruction in third-y medical students undergoing a surgical clinical clerkship. We hypothesized that near-peer instruction would provide a beneficial educational experience to third-y medical students during their surgical clinical clerkship. METHODS: The authors anonymously surveyed third-y medical students undergoing their clinical clerkship in surgery on their perception of the near-peer instruction and mentorship they received from fourth-y medical students at the beginning of the clerkship. Near-peer instruction included teaching suturing techniques, surgical procedures and anatomy, operating room literacy, and sharing anecdotal experiences. Surveys were distributed 24 h after receiving the formal instruction. RESULTS: A total of 85 students completed the survey (78% response rate). Students reported a similar or increase in value of learning from near-peer mentors compared to attending physicians (less valuable: 1.2%; just as valuable: 52.9%; more valuable: 45.9%). The majority of students indicated they would like to experience more near-peer style instruction in medical school as demonstrated in surgical clerkship training (absolutely no: 0%; probably not: 0%; on the fence: 4.7%; probably yes: 25.9%; absolutely yes: 69.4%). After experiencing near-peer instruction and mentoring, students were more interested in becoming near-peer mentors (less interested: 1.2%; just as interested: 29.4%; more interested: 69.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Students appreciate and desire near-peer instruction, seeing it as an effective learning method. Mentees undergoing near-peer style instruction have an increased interest in becoming near-peer mentors.

How an IJES Working Group Grappled with the Complexities of Three Letters-DEI-With the Goal to Broaden Inclusion and Representation in Exercise Science Research.

A self-study of International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) publications from 2008 through 2021 revealed a sex-data gap in participant and corresponding author representation. This finding prompted the creation of the IJES Working Group for Opportunity, Representation, and Diverse Perspectives. We are a collaborative team of authors, reviewers, and editors, spanning both rural and urban teaching- and research-focused institutions, who assembled regularly starting in September 2023. The goal was to contemplate potential challenges and opportunities around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), elicit discourse, and broaden inclusion and representation in exercise science research. Our group identified six main challenges/opportunities: 1) Mixed Definitions and Applications of DEI Principles; 2) Competing Lifeviews and Worldviews; 3) Oversight and Enforcement of DEI Principles in IJES; 4) Oversight and Enforcement of DEI Principles in the Broader Field; 5) IJES is a Home for Developing Scholars; and 6) Lag Time for Creating Change in IJES. As a growing international journal, we depend on a diverse group of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers to achieve our mission. Accordingly, the Working Group encourages impactful, inclusive research that broadens representation within exercise science.

Scholars' experiences with faculty mentoring: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars Program.

BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars program supported nurses to complete PhDs in 3 years. Support mechanisms included mentoring by the program office and school faculty, and leadership development activities. PURPOSE: To describe scholars' perspectives of mentoring received by faculty during the accelerated timeline. METHODS: Of 201 scholars, 157 (78%) completed exit surveys, providing qualitative data on their experiences working with faculty mentors. DISCUSSION: Scholars highlighted strong mentorship (i.e., accessibility, emotional support) as the most important facilitator to program completion. Mentor challenges were identified as the second-most mentioned barrier to success, while the first was the accelerated timeline. CONCLUSION: The scholars' most-reported mentor-provided facilitators to success were availability and emotional support. Among scholars who noted barriers to their success caused by their mentor relationship, the most-reported issue was lack of access to their mentors.

BUILDing Engaged Mentors: Examining the Efficacy of BUILD-led Mentor Training.

The practice of mentorship is a critical focus in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. This quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of undergraduate mentor training in biomedical sciences programs in the NIH-funded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative comprised of research-rising institutions. We used data from the Higher Education Research Institute's Faculty Survey (2016-17 and 2019-20). In cross-sectional comparisons of 379 BUILD-trained faculty with 755 colleagues who were not BUILD-trained, those who participated in BUILD mentor training reported more engagement with mentees. Utilizing propensity score matching of 314 with longitudinal cases, mentoring confidence and engagement were stronger over time for BUILD-trained faculty. Findings suggest BUILD mentor training yields positive results for undergraduate mentors at research-rising institutions.

Navigating Undergraduate Medical Education: The Impact of Enhanced Mentorship Pairing at a New Medical School.

Introduction Transitioning into medical school is challenging, particularly in the first year, with a notable support gap. This study aimed to evaluate a mentorship program at a new medical school. Methods Initiated in 2017 at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, the mentorship program had two iterations: initial random pairings and subsequent formative pairings based on matching criteria. A mixed-methods approach assessed its effectiveness in supporting first-year students. Results Of 109 first-year students, 76% completed a 6-month survey. Both classes primarily had male mentees with varied interests in primary or specialty care. No significant demographic differences or benefits between 1:1 and 2:1 mentor-mentee pairings were found, though in-person communication was preferred in 1:1 pairings (p=0.036). While enhanced matching criteria improved perceived transitions (p=0.47) and academic performance (p=0.84), these did not reach statistical significance. However, it increased the frequency of communication (p=0.038). Conclusion The implementation of a peer-mentorship program at a new medical school demonstrates high engagement among first- and second-year medical students with perceived improvement in transition and academic performance. Although enhanced matching criteria led to more frequent communication, highlighting the significance of careful mentor-mentee pairings, they did not correlate with better transitions or academic outcomes. This indicates that while these criteria are valuable, they are less crucial than simply having a mentorship program in place.