Bridging the Gap! The Scope and Implications of Reverse Mentoring in Medical Education: A Perspective on Medical Students Guiding Educators
Published by: Eboni Anderson, D.H.Ed., Ph.D.(c), M.A, M.Ed., M.S.W.
Medicine, a field that thrives on continual learning and innovation, has witnessed dramatic changes over the past few decades. With the influx of technology, social changes, and evolving healthcare needs, medical educators and students alike have been constantly challenged to remain at the forefront of knowledge. In this milieu, an unconventional approach to mentorship, known as reverse mentoring (RM), is gaining traction. Originally developed for nursing education,1 RM has the potential to be a great model in the realm of medical education. For example, RM can enhance the role of medical students as mentors, particularly to educators. With the backdrop of rapidly advancing technology and evolving pedagogical approaches, it is important to explore the mutual benefits, challenges, and frameworks that are necessary for successful implementation of RM.
What is Reverse Mentoring?
In 1999, RM was conceptualized by Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric (GE).2 While traditional mentoring models involve seasoned professionals guiding the newer entrants, RM flips this dynamic. Madhavanprabhakaran et al1 defined RM as a non-traditional, non-hierarchical approach that involves a bi-directional relationship between a mentor and mentee. RM breaks from the convention of age and seniority dictating the mentor role and promotes intergenerational learning, which embodies the principle that ‘Everyone leads; everyone learns.’1 Thus, the RM model positions medical students and early-career doctors as mentors to their more experienced counterparts. This model also promotes a synergy of wisdom and innovation, wherein both parties can benefit.
The Driving Need for Reverse Mentoring
When it comes to age and lived experience, medical students are not a monolithic group. However, it is worth noting that today’s younger generation of medical students and early-career doctors, often referred to as digital natives, are adept at integrating technology into daily practices. 3 This proficiency can be invaluable, especially when seasoned medical educators and clinicians grapple with implementing the latest technology in the curriculum and navigating electronic health records or telemedicine platforms.3 RM can occur when a medical student with technical expertise mentors a seasoned educator. Central to the RM approach are specific focus areas, including, but not limited to, adapting to new software applications, healthcare informatics, educational podcasts, online learning platforms, and electronic databases.1,4 This paradigm shift encourages a two-way exchange - encompassing current technological trends and traditional medical education approaches. Such intergenerational collaborations can foster innovation by promoting the sharing of diverse knowledge sets, skills, and values.1,5 However, RM expands beyond the scope of being technically proficient.
The concept of RM holds the potential to revolutionize various aspects of medical education and practice. One salient advantage of this approach lies in its capacity to introduce a fresh outlook on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).6 JEDI is a critical parameter in contemporary medical education programs. Medical students who assume the role of mentors often bring invaluable, modern perspectives on these issues, aiming to enhance the cultural proficiency of medical educators. Additionally, RM serves as a conduit for the integration of innovative approaches into established clinical practices.7 Each new generation of medical students carries with them pioneering ideas and methodologies that can be effectively disseminated through RM, thereby contributing to the continual improvement of medical education and healthcare practice.
Furthermore, RM facilitates the development of robust interpersonal relationships. By establishing a rapport grounded in mutual respect and intergenerational learning, RM enhances team dynamics and elevates the quality of the basic sciences curriculum and clinical rotations.5 Therefore, RM can act as a catalyst for multifaceted improvements in all areas of medical education.
Incorporating Reverse Mentoring
Embracing RM can be transformative. It not only enhances the overall quality of medical education but also bolsters professional growth by ensuring that educators remain abreast of contemporary methodologies. Considering the unforeseen challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic that demanded swift adaptation, RM could have provided an expedient solution for knowledge transfer within the distressed, overworked, and understaffed medical community.8 The foundation of this approach rests on open dialogue. Regularly scheduled sessions, be they informal coffee chats or structured training, are paramount. Feedback is golden. An effective feedback loop, where both parties can share insights, can further refine and enhance the process.9 Lastly, embracing modern platforms and leveraging technology familiar to the younger generation can make the process more efficient and relevant.4
Both medical educators and students stand to gain immensely from the RM model. For medical educators, increasing awareness beyond ‘staying in one’s lane’ of pedagogy is no longer an option but a necessity. Openness to learning from medical student-mentors can help educators stay abreast of the latest trends, current events (e.g., social justice in medicine), and, again, current and future technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence software programs, like ChatGPT).3 Beyond these benefits to educator-mentees, medical students develop confidence, gain teaching and early leadership experience, and are empowered as valued members of the medical school community.5,7 However, RM does come with some challenges. While integrating this innovative approach can bridge the digital disconnect between generations and foster an environment that reaps benefits across the board, for successful adoption, a tailored approach that caters to the specific needs of individual medical institutions is imperative.7 Therefore, adopting collaborative strategies, sequential steps, and open communication channels could optimize this integration process.
Conclusion
The medical field, with its constant evolution, can ill afford to maintain a status quo. The widening generational gap necessitates innovative approaches like RM to bridge it.7 As professionals, it is the medical educators’ responsibility to remain receptive to change, embrace new learning avenues, and ensure that they provide the best possible academic experience for medical students. With medical education increasingly leaning on digital platforms, the significance of medical students mentoring educators is paramount. These alliances can augment collaborations, spanning service, education, and research, ensuring optimized, culturally proficient academic excellence. However, the linchpins of success, as echoed in many academic medicine communities, remain mutual respect, transparency, and a genuine reciprocal learning spirit. The burgeoning realm of RM offers boundless potential in redefining the contours of medical education. By fostering an environment of collaborative growth and learning, we can seamlessly integrate the wisdom of the past with the innovations of the present.
References
1. Madhavanprabhakaran G, Francis F, Labrague LJ. Reverse mentoring and intergenerational learning in nursing: Bridging generational diversity. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2022;22(4):472-478. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.4.2022.027
2. Finkelstein LM, Allen TD, Rhoton LA. An examination of the role of age in mentoring relationships. Group & Organ Mgmt. 2003;28(2):249-281.
3. Jain S, Jain BK, Jain PK, Marwaha V. “Technology proficiency” in medical education: Worthiness for worldwide wonderful competency and sophistication. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022;13:1497-1514. Published 2022 Dec 15. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S378917
4. DeAngelis KL. Reverse mentoring at The Hartford: Cross-generational transfer of knowledge about social media. Chestnut Hill, USA: Sloan Center on Aging & Work, Boston College, 2013.
5. Aemmi SZ, Moonaghi HK. Intergenerational learning program: A bridge between generations. Int J Pediatr 2017; 5:6713–21. https://doi.org/10.22038/ijp.2017.28072.2430
6. Israni B. Reverse Mentoring (RM) an effective way to advance the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion across universities: A systematic review of literature (SLR). In: Re-imagining higher education through equity, inclusion and sustainability (RISE). Proceedings of the 2nd EUt+ International Conference on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; 2022 Sep 1-3; Technical University of Sofia, Sozopol, Bulgaria. https://doi.org/10.21427/w5ts-4k96
7. Clarke AJ, Burgess A, Diggele C, Mellis C. The role of reverse mentoring in medical education: Current insights. Adv Med Educ Pract 2019; 10:693. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S179303
8. Singh S, Thomas N, Numbudiri R. Knowledge sharing in times of a pandemic: An intergenerational learning approach. Knowl Process Manag 2021; 28:153–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/kpm.1669
9. Straus S, Chatur F, Taylor M. Issues in the mentor–mentee relationship in academic medicine: A qualitative study. Acad Med 2009; 84:135–9. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0b013e31819301ab
