Frequently Asked Questions
Content Page
- What are the next steps?
- What will the matching process look like?
- What are the dates I should take note of?
- What are the objectives for each block?
- What am I supposed to do within each block?
- What forms do I have to fill up at the end of the block?
- What are the next steps?
- Are there any guiding questions for each block?
What are the next steps?
The programme induction is over, what do I do now?
- Mentors: Please fill up the Mentors’ Final Form by next Saturday, 24th July. The form can be found here: https://forms.gle/abhJyvG6xwo6jtNPA.
- Mentees: Details on your future mentors can be found here. We will provide you with the “Mentees’ Final Form” on Sunday, 25th July 2021. Please fill up this form by the 31st of July (Saturday). This form is for you to indicate your preference for mentors.
What is the purpose of the Mentor/ Mentee Final Form?
- Mentors: The purpose of the “Mentors’ Final Form” is to provide a brief description of yourself to the mentees, which will increase their chances of selecting a mentor they believe will be the most compatible with them. This will be reviewed by the organising committee for optimal matching and the results will be released on 7th August, but if you would like to change the groupings, please feel free to email us.
- Mentees: The purpose of the “Mentee’s Final Form” is to indicate your preference of mentors. This will allow the organising committee to optimize the grouping of the participants.
What will the matching process look like?
The matching process will be done internally by the organizing committee. The matching results will be sent out in an email on the 7th of August (Saturday). Mentors will also receive a completed set of questionnaires that has been completed by their mentees to get a better understanding of them.
What are the dates I should take note of?
| Activity | Start | End |
| Submission of Mentor Final Form (Mentors) | 18 July 2021 (Sunday) | 24 July 2021 (Saturday) |
| Submission of Mentee Preference Form (Mentees) | 25 July 2021 (Sunday) | 31 July 2021 (Saturday) |
| Mentor/Mentee Matching Confirmation | 7th August 2021 (Saturday) | |
| Block 1 (Exam preparation Period) | August 2021 | October 2021 |
| Block 2 (Post-School/School Break) | December 2021 | February 2022 |
| Block 3 (Starting a new term) | March 2022 | April 2022 |
| Programme Closing | May 2022 |
What are the objectives for each block?
| Activity | Description |
| Programme Induction | Mass Zoom briefing of all mentees and mentors who have filled up the EOI form. This session is to mainly allow mentees to get to know who their potential mentors are in order to aid them in choosing their mentors. |
| Block 1 (Aug 2021 – Oct 2021) | Exam preparation period The 1st group session between mentors and mentees! 👩⚕️🧑⚕️ This can be a get-to-know-each-other session, and a session to communicate each other’s expectations for the programme. The recommended themes of this block are exam preparation, work life balance and OSCE tips ☺️☺️ |
| Block 2 (Dec 2021 – February 2022) | Post exam period/ School Break The 2nd group session 👀🤩 With exams being over, it is time for holidays to begin! With more free time and books being off student’s minds for the time being, students can participate in job shadowing opportunities together, learn about clinical etiquette and contemplate about medical ethics. Students can also bond by going out and doing fun activities together! (It’s the holidays! 🥳) |
| Block 3 (Mar 2022 – April 2022) | Starting a new term For many, university life is ending and work life is going to start. What are some skills that doctors need in order to excel in the workplace environment? 🩺 Housemanship and internship is going to be tough. Without preparation, many might feel lost. The recommended themes of this block are study techniques, choosing specialization, surviving Housemanship and Medical Officer and how to work with others 😌 |
| Programme Closing (May 2022) | Mass Zoom Debrief This session would mark the end of the programme, we hope that everyone has enjoyed their experiences as mentors/mentees! 🥰🥰 Feel free to use this time to reflect upon how you have grown as a group, and moving forward, how you would like to potentially continue your dynamics. Please do not forget to provide us with feedback on how you found the programme as well so we can better it for you in the future! Thank you for your participation in the programme 😊 |
What am I supposed to do within each block?
- Start of Block: Decide on the topics you want to talk about. Although there will be a guideline of conversation topics for the different blocks sent out on the matching day to mentors, it is best to discuss potential topics in order to gauge the general interests of the team.
- Planning: Confirm the meeting time and location. Using a preferred social media platform, find a place and time whereby everyone is available for the mentoring session.
- Discussion: Participate actively in the discourse. Make sure that you come prepared for the mentoring session. Prepare some questions that you are genuinely interested in finding out answers to.
- Feedback: Complete all relevant forms. Please put effort into writing the feedback as it would be a great opportunity for the mentees to develop and the programme to improve.
What forms do I have to fill up at the end of the block?
Mentees:
- Post-Block review form: Provide feedback on how the block is run administratively and how the programme could be improved.
- Change group/Leave Program Form (optional): If you are unable to meet the demands of the programme or unable to to meet the needs of the group.
Mentors:
- Post-Block review form: Provide feedback on how the block is run administratively and how the programme could be improved.
- Mentee Feedback Form: Provide feedback to each of your mentees individually. One completed form should be for the evaluation of one mentee.
Are there any guiding questions for each block?
| Block | Objectives |
| Block 1 Jul – Oct 2021 | Introductions Introduction of group membersCommunicating expectations that mentees and mentors have of each other Establishing goals to achieve as a group by the end of the program Exam preparation period Pre-clinicals: How are the students feeling about the upcoming exams? Exam preparation strategies Worklife Balance – Medical school is all-consuming. How can students ensure that their time and efforts are well distributed?OSCE tips Clinicals: How are the students coping with medical school?How to Prevent Burnout – Being a doctor is stressful, emotionally, and physically demanding, what can doctors do to stay committed and focused throughout their career?Worklife Balance – Being a doctor is definitely time-consuming, staying up late to care for patients will definitely mean less time for friends, family, and other interests. What can doctors do to prevent their lives from only being defined by their medical endeavors? |
| Block 2 Dec 2021 – Feb 2022 | Post exam period/ School Break Opportunity to do something fun together (e.g. share each others’ hobbies etc.) Pre-clinicals: How to obtain research/ shadowing opportunities Clinicals:What are the students’ expectations of clinicals and what do they think are their expectations of themselves? Clinical etiquette: how to dress to clinicals, how to address supervisors, best way to summarise findings, answering attendings’ questions What do the students think would be the largest topics of ethical grey areas in the medical field? How would they address them?Ethics – There are many grey areas in medicine; such as determining when to stop saving someone’s life. How can doctors train their hearts and minds to make sure that they make the right decision? |
| Block 3 Mar – Apr 2022 | Starting a new term Pre-clinicals:Study techniques Clinicals:Going forward, what do the students think are essential to surviving housemanship & internship? Have they decided on a specialty yet and if not, what sort of additional help/guidance do they require?Choosing specialisation: what pathways can they take to best explore the specialty they want to go into How to survive Housemanship and Medical Officer – The first 2 years after graduation would definitely be tiring. What are some things that graduates can do to prepare themselves for this grueling period of their lives?How to work with others – Doctors are not the only profession in the medical field, others being nurses and colleagues in the allied health department. How can doctors behave to ensure efficiency and productivity as leaders of their field? |
Singapore Medical Society of Australia & New Zealand 