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Review
. 2023 Oct 24;23(1):787.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-023-04718-y.

Professional identity formation amongst peer-mentors in a research-based mentoring programme

Lalit Kumar Radha Krishna  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9 , Anushka Pisupati  10   11   12 , Kelly Jia Hui Teo  10   11   12 , Mac Yu Kai Teo  10   11   12 , Chrystie Wan Ning Quek  10   11   12 , Keith Zi Yuan Chua  10   11   12 , Vaishnavi Venktaramana  10   11   12 , Vijayprasanth Raveendran  10   11   12 , Harpreet Singh  10   11   12 , Sabine Lauren Wong Chyi Hui  10   11   12 , Victoria Wen Wei Ng  10   11   12 , Ong Yun Ting  10   11   12 , Eleanor Kei Ying Loh  10   11   12 , Ting Ting Yeoh  13 , Jasmine Lerk Juan Owyong  12 , Eng Koon Ong  11   12   14   15   16 , Gillian Li Gek Phua  11   17 , Ruaraidh Hill  18 , Stephen Mason  19 , Simon Yew Kuang Ong  12   14   20
Affiliations
Review

Professional identity formation amongst peer-mentors in a research-based mentoring programme

Lalit Kumar Radha Krishna et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Mentoring plays a pivotal yet poorly understood role in shaping a physician's professional identity formation (PIF) or how they see, feel and act as professionals. New theories posit that mentoring nurtures PIF by functioning as a community of practice through its structured approach and its support of a socialisation process made possible by its assessment-directed personalized support. To test this theory and reshape the design, employ and support of mentoring programs, we evaluate peer-mentor experiences within the Palliative Medicine Initiative's structured research mentoring program.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews with peer mentors under the Palliative Medicine Initiative (PMI) at National Cancer Centre Singapore were conducted and triangulated against mentoring diaries to capture longitudinal data of their PMI experiences. The Systematic Evidence-Based Approach (SEBA) was adopted to enhance the trustworthiness of the data. SEBA employed concurrent content and thematic analysis of the data to ensure a comprehensive review. The Jigsaw Perspective merged complementary themes and categories identified to create themes/categories. The themes/categories were compared with prevailing studies on mentoring in the Funnelling Process to reaffirm their accuracy.

Results: Twelve peer-mentors participated in the interviews and eight peer-mentors completed the mentoring diaries. The domains identified were community of practice and identity work.

Conclusions: The PMI's structured mentoring program functions as a community of practice supporting the socialisation process which shapes the peer-mentor's belief system. Guided by a structured mentoring approach, stage-based assessments, and longitudinal mentoring and peer support, peer-mentors enhance their detection and evaluation of threats to their regnant belief system and adapt their self-concepts of identity and personhood to suit their context. These insights will help structure and support mentoring programs as they nurture PIF beyond Palliative Medicine.

Keywords: Community of practice; Medical students; Medicine; Mentoring; Peer mentoring; Physicians; Professional identity formation; Socialization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Planned spiral course for peer-mentors in the PMI
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The ring theory of personhood
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Fig. 3
The Krishna-Pisupati model for professional identity formation
Fig. 4
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The SSR in SEBA process
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The trajectory of peer-mentors in CoPs
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Fig. 6
Community of practice and landscape of practice
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Fig. 7
The updated Krishna-Pisupati framework for PIF in mentoring
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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