Abstract:
Introduction:
The Covid-19 pandemic imposed new forms of distance learning on medical education. Thus, mentoring programs, a practice in the medical education process, needed to adapt to the new situation with the implementation of virtual mentoring for students.
Experience report:
The mentoring group reinforced the importance of this process for professional training, especially in view of the anxieties and insecurities caused by the pandemic. The move to virtual meetings was well received by mentors and mentees. Finally, the virtual mentoring process allowed lighter topics to be discussed, more open conversations about difficult issues and reinforced the identity of that group.
Discussion:
Mentoring programs need to invest in better training for mentors, as a way to promote the quality of the group process, not to mention the benefits that this would bring to the mentor who started to work remotely with their mentors. The pandemic increased the discrepancies between generations and the mastering of virtual tools by mentors and mentees. Mentors and teachers in the medical education process need to pay attention to the mental suffering and weaknesses of students, in an attempt to minimize these problems through mentoring according to the narratives and the sharing of experiences that help break the automatized daily routine.
Conclusion:
No damage was observed about virtual mentoring, and there would be no obstacle for it to remain in remote mode after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Keywords:
Virtual Mentoring; Medical Student; Narrative; Covid-19