Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40892719›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2025

Effects of mentoring on self-reflection and competence in Final year medical students' internal medicine rotation.

Markus B Heckmann, Christine Mages, Daniel Finke, Christoph Reich, Ailís Ceara Haney, Caroline Riedel, Till Johannes Bugaj, Norbert Frey, Ann-Kathrin Rahm

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Markus B HeckmannDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Christine MagesDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Daniel FinkeDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Christoph ReichDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2683-1369
Ailís Ceara HaneyDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Caroline RiedelDepartment of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Till Johannes BugajDepartment of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Norbert FreyDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
Ann-Kathrin RahmDepartment for Cardiology, Angiology, and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7509-887X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFinal year medical students (FYMS) in Germany transfer theoretical knowledge to clinical practice. However, there is a deficiency in structured guidance and feedback and self-reflective practices are often neglected. This study aims to investigate the impact of three mentoring strategies on cultivating self-reflection and introspection in FYMS and to assess competence during routine activities.

methodsFinal year medical students (n = 46) completing a mandatory internal medicine rotation at Heidelberg University Hospital were randomized to either passive mentoring or active mentoring (split into structured and unstructured sessions). Across an 8-week rotation, we assessed the influence of mentoring styles on self-reflection and introspection (SRIS) at the beginning and at the end of the rotation. Changes in SRIS were compared by Mann Whitney U tests. Translated, adapted and newly generated questionnaires were analysed calculating cronbach's alpha and optimized using an item-drop analysis.

resultsKey findings include: a general reluctance to initiate mentor-mentee relationships (1 out of 15 in the passive group sought meetings, p < 0.0001), a propensity for FYMS to undervalue their competence compared to external evaluations (3.6 vs. 4.5 p < 0.0001), a tendency for female FYMS to have higher perceived competence (PCS) than males, with means of 3.8 vs. 3.3 (p = 0.0021), and a measurable improvement in introspection (SRIS-IN) across all participants by the program's end, regardless of the mentoring style received (median change on scale: 0.25, p = 0.0016). However, the mentoring intervention itself revealed no significant impact on self-reflection.

conclusionsActive mentoring had little to no effect on self-reflection and insight of final year medical students in Germany in the setting of an 8-week rotation. Interventional learning studies were well accepted, and participation rate was high. However, form completion rates were low. Future studies should focus on increasing form completion rates through additional incentives.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceInternal MedicineMentoringMentorsStudents, MedicalAdultEducation, Medical, UndergraduateFemaleGermanyHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40892719
PMCPMC12404468

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.