What near-peer mentorship has taught me as a resident

Making the jump from medical student to resident—and suddenly becoming a teacher—was nerve-wracking at first.

It felt strange when students began asking me for advice, looking to me for guidance, or asking for my thoughts on a patient’s plan.

“There is no way they’re relying on me now,” I thought, “and there is no way I am the teacher they are asking for help.”

Less than one year ago, I was a student asking those same questions. Now, I was responsible for helping someone else work through clinical reasoning and move toward the right answer.

Over time, I realized I knew more than I gave myself credit for. Even as an intern, I had experiences, clinical knowledge, and practical lessons that could be valuable to students early in their training. As I became more comfortable explaining concepts, walking through my thought process and challenging students to think independently, I also became more comfortable in the role of teacher and near-peer mentor.

Why residents are uniquely positioned for near-peer mentorship

There is one advantage to my proximity to medical school: I can genuinely put myself in a student’s shoes.

I remember being a third-year medical student walking into my first clinical rotation and trying to figure out where I fit on the team.

I remember being a fourth-year student navigating interview season and wondering what residency actually would be like.

More than anything, I remember wanting to talk to residents who understood what medical school felt like at that moment. I knew residents had gone through the same challenges and uncertainty just a few years prior. Now, I have the opportunity to be that person for someone else.

My medical student experiences are still fresh, which helps students feel comfortable coming to me with questions they might otherwise hesitate to ask. I try to create a safe environment where they know they can ask me about patient care, residency, interviews or simply navigating medicine.

Good mentorship means letting students work through uncertainty

Being a good mentor means doing more than simply giving students the answer. I want to challenge them to think through a problem, take a chance and be willing to get a question wrong.

Growth often comes from working through the uncertainty, not from immediately being handed the solution. I aim to create a space where students can think out loud, ask questions and challenge themselves without fear of being judged or embarrassed if they do not know something.

Getting a question wrong should not be the end of the conversation; it should be the beginning of a teaching opportunity.

What matters to me is that students are willing to think critically, explain their reasoning and stay curious. If I can create a space where a medical student feels safe enough to say, “I’m not sure, but here’s what I’m thinking,” then I believe I am doing one of the most important things I can do as a resident mentor.

Teaching medical students helps me grow, too

Teaching medical students has also made me more confident because it keeps me on my game. Students ask fantastic questions, and those questions often push me to think more deeply about why we make certain clinical decisions.

I won’t know every answer, and I try to be honest when I do not know something. I also want students to see that saying “I don’t know” is not a failure but an opportunity to find the answer.

The responsibility of teaching pushes me to read and use my resources more and continue being a learner myself.

Working with different students has also helped me become a better communicator. Every student comes with a different knowledge base, set of experiences and way of thinking. Effective teaching means meeting students where they are, understanding what interests them and finding ways to make what I’m teaching relevant to them.

That same skill translates directly to family medicine, where communicating effectively with different patients, families and communities is essential.

My advice for PGY-1 residents teaching medical students

To my fellow and future PGY-1s who are nervous about teaching students, my advice is to embrace the challenge.

Embrace not knowing every answer, but be willing to go find it. Remember that just a year ago you may have been in their shoes. Now, you are where many of them hope to be.

They may look at you as someone who has accomplished what they are working toward, and that comes with the responsibility of giving back and imparting wisdom to those who will come after you.

Being a good near-peer mentor requires a balance of honesty, challenge and support. Push students to grow, but create a safe environment in which that growth can happen.

Be the resident mentor you needed as a medical student

Most importantly, I hope today’s medical students remember this when they become residents themselves. Never underestimate how much a supportive resident can affect a medical student’s experience—or even the trajectory of their career. Create the type of learning environment you would have wanted when you were in their shoes.

Tyler Wilson, DO, a graduate of the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a first-year family medicine resident at University of South Florida Health at Tampa General Hospital.