Mentorship Programme
The word ‘mentor’ has its origin from the Greek mythology where Odysseus, entrusted his friend named Mentor with the care and education of his son Telemachus, before setting off to a journey to Troy.
Mentoring is often described as per the description provided by the Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education (SCOPME) in London, 1998:
“A process whereby an experienced, highly regarded, empathetic person (the mentor) guides another (usually younger) individual (the mentee) in the development and re-examination of their own ideas, learning, and personal and professional development. The mentor, who often (but not necessarily) works in the same organization or field as the mentee, achieves this by listening or talking in confidence to the mentee.”
The world over Mentorship is a standard practice in medical schools, wherein a new student is allotted a mentor (senior or a teacher) who acts as a friend, philosopher and guide during the journey of medical education and maybe even beyond. Research and experience have suggested that mentorship is a crucial intervention in decreasing stress and facilitating the journey of medical education for the new entrants in the medical school.
At HIMSR, we have a tradition of Mentorship programme since its inception. Every student is allotted a mentor from amongst the teachers, at the start of their first year. This mentor continues for the entire medical course. Each mentor will a few mentees allotted to them. The mentees are urged to have a free communication with their mentors and discuss their academic and non-academic issues with them. It has often blossomed into a beautiful relationship for many mentees and mentors and we hope the 2018 batch would have a similar or even better experience.
