The Effect of a Formalized Mentorship Program on Pre-Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of Themselves as Pharmacy Students

Mentoring programs are not uncommon. In fact, they are more common than we think. Most mentoring programs and/or mentorship opportunities are informal and happen daily. While mentorship programs are common, some programs, specifically Pre-Pharmacy related, are overlooked. The lack of formalized opportunities impacts prospective students’ understanding of the profession and connection-building and limits accessibility to resources. This study explored the role of participation in the Mentoring Aspiring Pre-Pharmacy Mentorship Programs (MAPPS) on the mentees' self-efficacy, belonging, and decision to pursue pharmacy. I conducted this four-week study at UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) in collaboration with the undergraduate campus. To support self-efficacy, belonging, and the decision to pursue pharmacy, MAPPS incorporated didactic and non-didactic activities, group conversations, reflections, and much more. To foster belonging, mentees were provided opportunities to participate in Pharmacy and Faculty meet and greet events, choose their mentor groups, and engage with one another. To develop self-efficacy, mentees were encouraged weekly to step outside their comfort zone by completing reflection activities that challenged them to learn more about the profession and engage with their mentors. The theoretical perspectives that guided this research project were the identity theory, self-efficacy theory, and sense of belonging. Furthermore, I used the parallel mixed design approach, which allowed me to use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods simultaneously or with some time-lapse. The data collected in this study showed that participation in the MAPPS mentorship program heightened the mentees' sense of belonging, developed a deeper understanding of the profession, and resulted in the mentee feeling empowered to pursue the profession.