College of Medicine organized “If I Were You…” event on October 3, 2022 at GMU as part of Peer Mentoring Program for preclinical students of the MBBS Program. “’If I Were You…’ was an incredible, fun, and interactive session with our senior students. They gave us amazing advice that we will continue to use throughout our studies. We all are very grateful for their time and efforts”, said Rozhina Ghanbari, III MBBS student.
The event’s goal was to share the personal experiences of IV MBBS students to benefit their immediate juniors. The Resource Persons were Reeda Mushtaq Kittur, Asem Mhmndar, and Mark Nobel students undergoing clinical training in our own Thumbay University Hospital.
The speakers motivated, guided, and engaged in a discussion about beneficial strategies to prepare well for the Phase II Examination, a gate for the progression to the clinical years. They addressed the concerns and queries raised by the students, providing suggestions on time management, beneficial resources, tips for study skills, and organization of topics for better retention, all required to prepare for the upcoming exams.
Jeromy Mackay expressed, “I found the session very insightful and motivating, and highly recommend that year two students also be given such talks by their seniors to benefit their progression and advanced planning for the Phase II Exam.” Wesam Darwich said, “It was good to hear and learn from the experience of our seniors. They guided us to find appropriate resources and how to utilize them best“. Resonating with her colleagues’ opinions, Sathya Iyer said, “I look forward to more such sessions in the future.”
This event was conceptualized by Dr. Janita Pinto, Assistant Professor in Microbiology and Phase II Coordinator, who emphasized that “Senior students are the best guiding light for their juniors in both academics and personal development.”
Commending the senior students on their interest to contribute to the learning and progress of their immediate junior peers, Prof. Nelofar Khan, Head, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, said, “It is a thoughtful gesture and a timely intervention to help the students. All students should use the tips shared to plan well, manage time, and use appropriate resources to succeed.”
Congratulating both faculty and students, Vce Chancellor Academics and Dean Prof.Manda Venkatramana said, “Peer Mentoring events like ‘If I were You….” go a long way in benefiting the junior students to focus as they are more likely to listen and relate to their immediate seniors, and also enriches the portfolios of the senior students”. We are proud to acknowledge that the outcome competencies of our signature MBBS program are aligned with the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) Quality Standards in addition to being aligned to international competency frameworks like ACGME and CanMEDS.