Mentoring Medical Students: Developing Millennials' Potential

by Jamie Burriss

In 2014, the Millennial generation - also known as generation Y - will take prominence over the global workforce, vastly outnumbering Gen X and Baby Boomers (Meister & Willyerd, 2010). As higher education prepares these individuals to enter the practice of medicine, understanding Millennials’ characteristics and values is essential to developing curriculum which encourages their full potential.

While formal mentoring programs for medical students are a relatively new phenomenon, research shows the desire for this type of relationship is extraordinary. Recent surveys indicate over 90% of students desire a mentoring relationship though current programs are not accommodating this demand (Rose et al., 2005). Mentoring programs are an extremely worthwhile endeavor and highlight several encouraging outcomes which include personal development, career preparation, establishing goals, research productivity encompassing publication and grants (Sambunjak et al., 2006; Yeung et al., 2010).

The creation of a successful mentoring program should recognize the strengths of the Millennial generation, effectively utilize mentoring to enhance and develop the student’s potential, and ultimately propel change in medical education. Additionally, it will incorporate the four domains of emotional intelligence encompassing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (Goleman et al., 2002). Collectively, the enlistment of Millennial characteristics to formulate a mentoring program focused on emotional intelligence will produce a new type of leader in medicine. My recommendations include the following.

Feedback. The Millennial generation desires constant feedback. Gaming experiences, Facebook, text messaging, instantaneous access to the internet, and smart phones have fueled this demand for incessant feedback. Additionally, Millennials have high expectations of themselves. Therefore it would be beneficial for the mentor to focus on goal-setting early in the relationship. Clearly defined short-term and long-term goals, ambitions, and interests will aid the medical student in accurate self-assessment, tracking performance and receiving productive feedback from their mentor. Structuring the program in this fashion also highlights competencies in the self-awareness domain including self-assessment, achievement and initiative (Goleman et al., 2002). Developing the student’s ability to recognize their strength and weaknesses creates progression toward their defined standards of excellence while increasing emotional intelligence in the self-awareness domain.

Feedback also teaches the aptitude of active listening and increases communication skills, which are essential to effective social interaction, thus transcending relationships between the student and his patient, staff and colleagues. Active listening and solid communication skills increase transparency, also defined as trustworthiness, which is a competency of self-management. The mentoring relationship should highlight these demonstrations of professionalism through feedback.

Civic Engagement. Millennials are often conversant in local, national, and global issues due to heavy involvement in volunteer work and civic engagement (Meister & Willyerd, 2010). Therefore, creating a mentoring program that allows students to engage in activities consistent with heroism will be important. By taking a complex systems perspective inclusive of global and social connections, students will be able to identify ways to fulfill their moral obligations, give back to society and drive change in underserved communities or by working with vulnerable populations.

Additionally, selecting mentors who are inspirational leaders is essential in creating a culture of optimism and motivation for students. The mentor should demonstrate qualities such as empathy, optimism and emotional self-awareness, which fall under varying domains of emotional intelligence, to set an example for students in the mentoring relationship. Initiating, managing and cultivating change - becoming a change catalyst - then becomes a reality through civic engagement.

Group Collaboration. Group mentoring, involving one mentor and several mentees, is recommended for the Millennial generation. These “learning circles” build camaraderie, allow for open communication with other students to discuss academic and/or social concerns, and encourage team building (Meister & Willyerd, 2010). Additionally, it is less resource intensive with regard to faculty solicitation and financial commitment.

A group-oriented focus also taps into the Millennials need for feedback through exchange of valuable advice and constructive criticism from peers. Ideally, the mentoring group will consist of students from all years of medical school to bridge experiential divides and encourage collaboration on projects and research, fulfilling a core competency of the relationship management domain of emotional intelligence. Through this mentoring arrangement, Millennials can practice other competencies in the relationship management domain such as influence through persuasion, building bonds with their peers, and resolving disagreements through conflict management (Goleman et al., 2002).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Tapping into the Millennials’ potential through a mentoring program based upon principles of emotional intelligence will certainly develop a novel leader versed in interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies. To ensure success, gaining faculty support and involvement will be essential. A solid foundation must be built which requires a comprehensive understanding of emotional intelligence by those involved. The selection of faculty mentors who possess qualities of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management will be significant, as will ongoing development and training for mentors.

References:
1. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership. Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press.
2. Meister, J. C. and Willyerd, K. (2010). Mentoring millennials. Harvard Business Review, 88(5), 68-72.
3. Rose, G.L., Rukstalis, M.R., & Schuckit, M.A. (2005). Informing mentoring between faculty and medical students. Academic Medicine, 80(4), 344-348.
4. Sumbunjak, D., Straus, S.E.,& Marusic, A. (2006). Mentoring in academic medicine. JAMA, 296(9), 1103- 115.
5. Yeung, M., Nuth, J., & Stiell, I.G. (2010). Mentoring in emergency medicine: the art and the evidence. CJEM, 12(2) 143-149.
6. Zemke, R. (2001). Here come the millennials. Training, 38, 44-49.