Perceptions of the Role of a Faculty Supervisor or “Mentor” at Two Medical Schools

This study compared faculty and student perceptions of the ideal and the actual role of a faculty supervisor or “mentor” at two schools of medicine — one in the United States and the other in England. Results indicated that, although faculty and students at both schools expected the mentor to spend more time, ideally, in 14 teaching, advising, and role‐modelling activities than he/she actually did, a generally high level of concordance between mentors’ and students’ perceptions of the mentor's role suggest that the role is a viable one. Differences between “ideal” and “actual” and between students’ and mentors’ perceptions are discussed. It is concluded that medical schools establishing such a system should define clearly the mentor's desired activities and functions

Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Perception · Political science · Supervisor · Innovations in Medical Education · Medical Education and Admissions · Medicine · Mentoring and Academic Development · Psychology