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A cross-sectional descriptive study of mentoring relationships formed by medical students

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Abstract

To describe medical students’ mentoring relationships and determine characteristics associated with having mentors, 232/302 (77%) of third- and fourth-year medical students at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) were surveyed. Twenty-six percent of third-year and 45% of fourth-year students had mentors. Most met their mentors during inpatient clerkships (28%), research (19%), or sought them on the basis of similar interests (23%). On multivariate analysis, students who performed research prior to (odds ratio [OR], 4.8; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.4 to 16.7; P=.01) or during medical school (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1 to 5.6; P=.03) and students satisfied with advising from all sources at UCSF (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.4; P<.001) were more likely to have mentors.

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Correspondence to Karen E. Hauer MD.

Additional information

This research was supported in part by Health Resources and Services Administration Faculty Development Grant D08 PE50109.

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Aagaard, E.M., Hauer, K.E. A cross-sectional descriptive study of mentoring relationships formed by medical students. J GEN INTERN MED 18, 298–302 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20334.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2003.20334.x

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