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Research Article: Course-specific performance and mentor characteristics in an undergraduate tutorial system in medical education

Date Published: 2026-07-20

Abstract:
Mentorship programs are widely used in medical education, but evidence linking specific mentor characteristics to students’ course-specific theoretical performance remains limited. This study examined associations between mentor characteristics and theoretical examination outcomes within an undergraduate tutorial system (UTS). This retrospective cohort study included 94 fourth-year medical students who participated in a structured UTS (each with one faculty mentor) and 136 non-UTS students for contextual comparison. Primary outcomes were final examination passing (?60) and high achievement (?80) in Internal Medicine and Surgery. Mentor characteristics included gender, age, professional title, academic degree, student-to-mentor ratio, and clinical specialty–course matching. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) accounted for clustering of students within mentors. UTS students had higher mean theoretical scores than non-UTS students (71.1?±?12.0 vs. 64.5?±?9.4). Students performed better in Surgery than in Internal Medicine (passing rate: 86.2% vs. 71.3%, p <?0.001; high-achiever rate: 36.2% vs. 20.2%, p =?0.002). In multivariable GEE, having a mentor with a senior professional title was independently associated with higher odds of passing Internal Medicine (adjusted OR?=?2.89, 95% CI: 1.05–7.96, p =?0.04). No other mentor characteristic showed a statistically significant association in multivariable analyses. In univariate analyses, younger mentor age was associated with high achievement in Internal Medicine (OR per year?=?0.92, 95% CI: 0.85–0.99, p =?0.03). In this UTS program, a senior mentor title was independently associated with passing the Internal Medicine examination. Exploratory findings regarding mentor age require confirmation in larger, prospective studies. Course-specific differences in student performance were pronounced, suggesting that the impact of formal mentorship on theoretical learning is context-dependent.

Introduction:
Mentorship programs are widely used in medical education, but evidence linking specific mentor characteristics to students’ course-specific theoretical performance remains limited. This study examined associations between mentor characteristics and theoretical examination outcomes within an undergraduate tutorial system (UTS).

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