Scholars in Rural Health: Mentoring Experiences of Former Participants

Abstract

Providing healthcare across Kansas is a primary mission of the University of Kansas School of Medicine. The University of Kansas School of Medicine established the Scholars in Rural Health program to meet the growing need of physicians in rural locations by providing a route to medical school for premedical students from rural Kansas. The early assurance, two-year pipeline program accepts college students from rural Kansas who spend two years with a rural physician in Kansas to help them prepare for medical school. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the mentoring experiences of former student participants in the Scholars in Rural Health program. The study used a basic qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews provided information about the experiences of 11 former Scholars. The literature on physician shortages, determinants of rural health, and mentoring guided the study. The main research question for the study was what are the mentee experiences of former participants in the Scholars in Rural Health program? Three research questions supported the main question: what are Scholars’ perceptions of mentoring relationships, when did mentoring occur for participants in the Scholars in Rural Health program, and how can the mentee experience be improved? Analysis of the interviews presented several themes and suggested three significant findings. First, Scholars did not have a uniform experience. Mentors provided scholars with access to clinical experiences that many premedical students do not experience, but not all Scholars had the same experience. Second, the characteristics of the mentor mattered to the Scholar participants. Scholars often noted that their mentors were teachers and had characteristics that allowed for in-depth experiences. Lastly, barriers existed but did not prevent mentoring in the SRH program.