Introduction

Student pipeline programs can enhance medical school recruitment of underrepresented individuals in medicine. While several pipeline programs exist at the University of Michigan, none incorporate research as a vehicle for mentorship. The Medical Mentorship Program (MMP) was created in 2023 to bridge this gap. We hypothesized that utilizing research in a structured team format could create a sustainable mentorship program. Here, we describe the team dynamics from MMP's inaugural year.

Methods

In fall 2023, undergraduates, medical students, and faculty were recruited and paired in a 1:1:1 fashion based on interests. Each team created a research proposal which was led by the undergraduate student. Our goal was for each undergraduate to have biweekly meetings with their medical student mentor and monthly meetings with their faculty advisor. Undergraduate students presented their findings at a research symposium in April 2024. Program participants completed a Qualtrics feedback survey prior to this event. Data analysis was conducted in RStudio.

Results

Eleven research teams were established. Meeting frequencies varied: undergraduates met with their medical student mentor less than weekly (37.5%), monthly (25%), or weekly (37.5%), and with their faculty less than monthly (25%), monthly (37.5%), more than weekly (12.5%), weekly (12.5%), or other (12.5%). 62.5% of undergraduates, 85.8% of medical students, and 60% of faculty agreed that medical students served as effective liaisons between team members. For mentorship, 50% of undergraduates felt their medical student mentored them on their research project, while 85.7% of medical students felt they provided this mentorship. Additionally, 62.5% of undergraduates felt their medical student mentor gave advice on medical school, compared to 57.2% of medical students who felt they offered this guidance.

Conclusions

Over half of the undergraduates received research mentorship and medical school advice from their medical student mentors. Although medical students viewed themselves as effective liaisons, fewer undergraduates and faculty shared this perception. Similarly, while most medical students felt they provided valuable mentorship on research projects, only half of undergraduates agreed. Addressing this disconnect could be achieved through targeted development of mentorship and leadership skills for medical students.