MPharm  Student  Mentor  Programme  at  Portsmouth  

Helen  Hull  Bertha  Mushunje  

What  is  mentoring?  

What  is  a  mentor?  

Why  introduce  mentoring?  

•  RAS  –  2012  •  TWO  12-­‐weeks  teaching  blocks  •  6  weeks  period  of  consolida@on  •  Final  summa@ve  assessment  

•  Tradi@onal  modularised  vs  RAS-­‐2012  

Aims  of  MPharm  Mentoring  Programme  

•  Transi@on  into  university  life  •  Share  experiences,  challenges  and  insight    •  Encourage  mentee  to  make  friends    •  Assist  them  to  learn  about  the  university  •  Social  side  of  the  university  •  Problem  solving  early  on  

Benefits  to  Yr  1  

MPharm  Mentor  Programme  

•  Volunteer  Yr  2  students  mentor  training  •  Mentor  Handbook  provided  •  Mentors  allocated  3  or  4  Yr  1  students  •  Met  during  scheduled  tutorials  •  Student  led  -­‐  encouraged  to  meet  independently    

Following  the  successful  roll-­‐out  in  September  2013  

•  Two  Stage  4  (final  year)  MPharm  students  undertook  a  qualita@ve  enquiry  of  the  MPharm  Student  Mentor  Programme  (SMP),    

–  from  the  mentors’  perspec@ve,  using  focus  groups.    

MPharm  Mentor  Programme  They  had  the  desire  to  help  others  and  for  their  personal  benefits.      Themes:  

q   Support  q   Developing  as  an  individual  q   Par@cipa@on  in  the  Student  Mentor  Prog  q   Professional  role  development  

Support  

•  Mentoring  gives  mutual  support  for  both  •  Mentors  help  mentees  because  – Other  focused  – Desire  to  help  others  – Want    to  share  their  previous    experiences  – Give  back  what  they  gained  from  others    

•  Guidance  +  Feedback    •  Leadership/role  model    •  Peer  learning  •  Friend  

Developing  as  an  individual  The  student  mentor  programme  helped  the  mentors  with:-­‐  

•  Personal  development  •  Gaining  knowledge    •  Become  stronger  in  things  

that  they  were  weaker  at  •  Empowered  to  make  

decisions  •  Become  more  rounded  as  a  

person  •  Good  problem  solvers  

•  Improved  their  communica@on  &  social  skills  

•  Gained  more  confidence  •  More  approachable  •  More  responsible    •  Become  good  listeners    •  Become  empathe@c  

ParDcipaDon  in  the  SMP  •  The  norm  of  reciprocity    &  mo@va@onal  factors  influenced  mentors  role  to  par@cipate.    

•  Mo@va@on  factors  ü To  prevent  others  experiencing  bad  situa@ons  ü To  make  friends  ü To  gain  skills  ü To  have  something  to  enhance  their  CV  ü Previous  mentoring  experiences  

•  Barriers  –  pairing,  characteris@cs  of  mentees    •  Possible  solu@ons    –  applica@on  process  –  ini@al  mee@ng  a  social  event  –  good  rela@onships  take  @me,  perseverance  &  pa@ence  

 

Professional  role  development  Mentoring  prepares  mentors  for  future  roles:  

ü pharmacist  ü manager  

Opportuni?es  to  prac?se  dealing  with  challenges  to  come.  Benefits  and  skills  gained:    

ü  Resourcefulness  ü  To  be  organized  ü  To  be  responsible  ü  Pa@ence  ü  Selflessness  ü  Non  judgemental  

ü  Tolerant  of  others  ü  Enhance  their  CV  ü  Interpersonal  skills  ü  Leadership  skills  ü  Enhanced  their  counselling  

skills  ü Management  skills    

q   Authors  agree  that  skills,  benefits  &  changes  in  adtudes  indicate  sa@sfac@on    q   Similar  to  benefits  being  realised  by  other  universi@es  with  similar  programmes  

Student  mentors  mentor  others  because:  Ø They  had  the  desire  to  help  others;  Ø Had  mo@va@ng  factors  which  influenced  them;  Ø Benefits  realised;  Ø Personal  development;  Ø Professional  role  development;  Ø Mentor  par@cipa@on  was  voluntary  which  may  explain  why  they  were  recep@ve  to  benefits  &  skills;  

Ø Unlike  other  programmes,  where  par@cipa@on  is  mandatory  and  could  lead  to  fric@on  &  resistance  between  the  mentor  &  mentee,  resul@ng  in  poor  quality  mentoring;  

Ø Training,  ac@ve  promo@on,  constant  evalua@on  required  for  growth  and  sustainability  of  the  programme.  

Benefits  to  mentors    

MPharm  Mentor  Programme  

•  Following  successful  roll-­‐out  in  Sept  2013  

•  4  mentors  agended  a  conference  in  Plymouth    •  The  next  step?    •  Peer  assisted  learning  (PAL)  

What  is  PALs  at  Portsmouth?  •  Trained  2nd  year  students   facilitate  small  groups  of  1st  year  students    

•  Informal  review  of  course  material  

•  Safe,  friendly  environment  to  ask  ques@ons  

•  Make  friends  on  course  /  leaders  -­‐  role  models  

•  Focus  on  historically  challenging  concepts  

•  Voluntary,   anonymous,   regularly   scheduled,   out   of  class  

What  is  PALs  at  Portsmouth?  

•  Support  from  higher  year  students  on  the  MPharm  course  

•  PAL  encourages  MPharm  students  to  support  each  other  

•  PAL  leaders  are  trained  2nd  year  MPharm  students    

PALs  at  Portsmouth  aims  to  help  students:  

•  Adjust  quickly  to  university  life  

•  Acquire   a   clear   view   of   course   direc@on   and  expecta@ons  

•  Develop   independent   study   skills   to   meet   the  requirements  of  higher  educa@on  

•  Enhance  understanding  of  the  subject  mager  of  their  course  through  group  discussions  

•  Prepare  beger  for  assessed  work  and  examina@ons  

How  PALs  at  Portsmouth  will  operate  

•  TWO  Yr  2  PAL  leaders  for  up  to  20  students    

•  Facilitate   maximum   of   4   @metabled   study  support  sessions  PER  TERM  

 •  Discussion  based  on  MPharm  course  material  

•  Support  given  to  PAL  leaders  by  Super  Leaders  and  Helen  Hull  –  PAL  Supervisor  

References  1.  Google  Images.  Mentoring  images.      [cited  2014  18  March];  Available  from:  hgps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mentoring&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=i2gpU7nONKZhQeJqIGQCg&sqi=2&ved=0CHsQ7Ak&biw=1280&bih=647#facrc=0%3Bmentoring%20and%20coaching&imgdii=_&imgrc=_.    2.  Hull  H.  Mentoring  Magers.    MPharm  Student  Mentor  Programme  (SMP)  Handbook2013.    3.  Packard  B.  Defini@on  of  mentoring.      [cited  2013  15  December];  Available  from:  hgp://ehrweb.aaas.org/sciMentoring/Mentor_Defini@ons_Packard.pdf.    4.  Royal  Pharmaceu@cal  Society  of  Great  Britain.  History  of  Pharmacy.    London:  Royal  Pharmaceu@cal  society  of  Great  Britain;  2013  [cited  2013  11  December];  Available  from:  hgp://www.rpharms.com/about-­‐pharmacy/history-­‐of-­‐pharmacy.asp.    5.  Winifield  A,  Rees  J,  Smith  I.  Pharmaceu@cal  Prac@ce.  Fourth  Edi@on  ed:  Elsevier  Limited;  2009.  

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