Impact of mentoring for underrepresented groups in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review

Abstract

Objectives Despite efforts to mitigate challenges to advance underrepresented groups (URG) groups' representation in medical education, diversity remains underwhelming. In response to this several mentoring programs to increase diversification within medical education have been implemented. However, the impact of these programs on URG representation across disciplines is unknown. The aim of this review is to evaluate the impact of structured mentoring programs on URGs in undergraduate medical education. Design Systematic review. Methods A comprehensive search strategy was performed of electronic databases including PubMed, Ovid Medline, and EMBASE between January and September 2022 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Both qualitative and quantitative outcomes including characteristics of the mentoring structure explored within each study were collected, and differences in study outcomes analyzed. Results In total 17 studies were included for analysis. Mentoring within URGs resulted in an increase in research opportunities, exam performance, medical specialty applications, and residency matching. Structured feedback yielded positive experiences by both mentors and mentees participating in programs, with both emotional and cultural competence issues explored across studies included for analysis. Conclusions Mentoring for medical students underrepresented in medicine across mentoring relationships including peer, seni…