Theses (Master in Health Professions Education)

Medical students frequently experience inconsistent and inadequately structured mentorship. Moreover, research shows that mentorship programmes tend to focus narrowly on academic monitoring without addressing the underlying factors contributing to students' holistic developmental needs. Recognising this gap, the present study seeks to explore the experiences and needs of undergraduate medical students regarding mentorship during their medical training. This study was guided by three theories: Kram's Mentoring Functions Theory, Social Support Theory, and Developmental Network Theory. Nine participants were purposely sampled based on their enrolment in Semesters 4-8. A descriptive qualitative research design with semi-structured individual interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams was employed for data gathering. The interviews were transcribed, and the data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six steps of thematic analysis. The themes for the mentorship experiences and needs were constructed. The experience themes include "Mentorship as Multifaceted Support System," "Quality of Mentor-Mentee Relationship and Communication," "Mentorship as Catalyst for Growth," "Mentor Attributes and Credibility," and "Structure of Systems." Meanwhile the themes for need of mentorship include "Academic Support," "Trusting Relationship," "Driver of Growth," "Systems that Enable Support," and "Credible, Well-Prepared Mentors." Students provided insights on their mentorship experiences and needs as well as its effects on their personal, academic, and professional development. Several significant trends were found related to academic guidance, emotional support, career preparation, networking, and research engagement. However, students frequently expressed concerns about poor mentor responsiveness, inadequate career guidance, dysfunctional communication infrastructure, and strong emotional impact from a lack of proactive support and unclear expectations. The results supported the need for comprehensive mentorship programmes focusing on career planning, time management, stress management, networking, and research competencies, whilst creating supportive environments characterised by psychological safety, genuine engagement, and structured meeting frequencies rather than perfunctory monitoring. The study's findings add to the literature on mentorship programmes aimed at addressing students' multidimensional needs and promoting holistic wellbeing during medical training. The insights from the undergraduate medical students' viewpoint are helpful for institutions in designing evidence-based mentorship programmes.

Background: Learner agency is recognised as a critical attribute in health professions education, influencing students’ motivation, engagement, and capacity for self-regulated learning. However, the relationship between assessment practices and learner agency in medical education remains underexplored. Objective: This study explored the perceptions and experiences of undergraduate medical students regarding assessment practices and their influence on the development of learner agency within the MBBS programme at IMU University. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design using focus group discussions (FGDs) was employed to examine the experiences of 27 medical students across Years 1 to 4. A purposive sample of 21 females and 6 males from diverse backgrounds participated in seven online FGDs conducted via Microsoft Teams©. Each session included 3–5 students. Data was analysed using iterative transcript review, inductive coding, and thematic analysis. Results: Three main dimensions of learner agency—environmental, behavioural, and intrapersonal—emerged as central to students’ experiences. Continuous assessments and timely, constructive feedback supported engagement and self-regulation. However, variability in feedback quality, limited student voice in assessment design, and lack of clarity in expectations hindered students’ sense of control and ownership of learning. Conclusion: Assessment practices significantly influence the development of learner agency among medical students. Enhancing the quality of feedback, promoting opportunities for co-agency, and designing student-inclusive assessment systems may strengthen learner empowerment and self-directed learning within medical education.

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging tool to enhance teaching and learning across multiple fields, including health professions education. Usage of VR in training undergraduates and postgraduates have shown benefits, however there are few studies in literature with regards to faculty motivation to adopt VR, creating a significant barrier to successful implementation of VR in higher education setting. Identifying key factors which motivate faculty to use VR is the main purpose of this quantitative study, performed from the lens of a South-East Asian perspective within a tertiary education centre. Data was collated in the form of an adapted survey and analysed using social learning theories. Face and content validation was performed by a panel of experts. Reliability testing was performed using Cronbach’s alpha for most constructs. The analysis revealed that enhanced student engagement, improved learning outcomes, interest in contemporary learning methods, institutional support for VR, professional development opportunities, and educational research were significant factors that motivate faculty to use VR in the undergraduate teaching and learning environment. Faculty with personal motivation placed higher weightage on these factors compared to those who did not possess intrinsic motivation, suggesting they are interested in using VR. The implications were that faculty with personal motivation are likely to be the early adopters of VR. Coupled with strong university guidelines geared towards technology enhanced learning, advancement of health education using VR is possible with strong leadership, adequate material resources and competent support staff. More research using qualitative methods and exploration into the psychology of adopting new technology is recommended. As technology advances, so too should the leaders of health professions adapt to the needs of the 21st century healthcare professionals. (277 words)