Mentoring programs: A question of design

Mentoring programs have been advocated for a variety of higher educational settings, including medical education. Reviewing the literature suggests that consensus is lacking on definitions of mentoring, resulting in difficulties with evaluation of mentoring programs. This article describes a systematic approach to designing a mentoring program for medical students that addresses questions of goals, mentor functions, mentor selection, preparation and matching to protégés, and evaluation of mentoring programs. Student participation in all phases of program design and implementation is emphasized.