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Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Balandya, E; Sunguya, B; Kidenya, B; Nyamhanga, T; Minja, IK; Mahande, M; Mmbaga, BT; Mshana, SE; Mteta, K; Bartlett, J; Lyamuya, E
Published in: Adv Med Educ Pract
2022

BACKGROUND: Mentorship is pivotal for sustainability of a successful research culture at higher learning institutions. Various models have been proposed for provision of research mentorship in health sciences but are challenged by utilizing predominantly hierarchical mentoring, as well as being centred on one discipline or one institution. This paper describes the approach and successes of an inclusive mentorship model employed in a resource-limited setting in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Through the NIH-funded Transforming Health Professions Education in Tanzania (THET) project, a consortium of three prominent health sciences higher learning institutions in Tanzania (MUHAS, CUHAS and KCMUCo) and two collaborating US institutions (UCSF and Duke University) was formed. Within THET, the Community of Young Research Peers (CYRP) was constituted, comprised two cohorts of undergraduate students and young faculty (fellows), and senior scientists. Besides mentorship and research training, fellows received funded research awards and in turn mentored undergraduate students. RESULTS: By the first quarter of project year four, the number of fellows and mentored undergraduate students had increased from 12 to 24 and from 41 to 67, respectively. Fellows in the second cohort (junior fellows) included medical doctors, nurses, dentist, biomedical scientist, sociologist and education psychologist. In fostering peer-to-peer mentoring, the cross-institutional pairs of fellows from the first cohort (senior fellows) were assigned to reciprocal pairs of junior fellow mentees and took a leading role in research training. Furthermore, the senior fellows had made significant strides, including eight enrolled in PhD programmes, eight publications from mentored research projects, and six small to medium-size research grants won. CONCLUSION: The unifying model of research mentorship employed by the CYRP has been demonstrated as an effective model for joint research mentorship of the diverse group of young investigators from collaborating higher learning institutions in Tanzania. This model is recommended for scale-up, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Adv Med Educ Pract

DOI

ISSN

1179-7258

Publication Date

2022

Volume

13

Start / End Page

355 / 367

Location

New Zealand

Related Subject Headings

  • 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
  • 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Balandya, E., Sunguya, B., Kidenya, B., Nyamhanga, T., Minja, I. K., Mahande, M., … Lyamuya, E. (2022). Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions. Adv Med Educ Pract, 13, 355–367. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S356678
Balandya, Emmanuel, Bruno Sunguya, Benson Kidenya, Tumaini Nyamhanga, Irene K. Minja, Michael Mahande, Blandina T. Mmbaga, et al. “Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions.Adv Med Educ Pract 13 (2022): 355–67. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S356678.
Balandya E, Sunguya B, Kidenya B, Nyamhanga T, Minja IK, Mahande M, et al. Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022;13:355–67.
Balandya, Emmanuel, et al. “Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions.Adv Med Educ Pract, vol. 13, 2022, pp. 355–67. Pubmed, doi:10.2147/AMEP.S356678.
Balandya E, Sunguya B, Kidenya B, Nyamhanga T, Minja IK, Mahande M, Mmbaga BT, Mshana SE, Mteta K, Bartlett J, Lyamuya E. Joint Research Mentoring Through the Community of Young Research Peers: A Case for a Unifying Model for Research Mentorship at Higher Learning Institutions. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2022;13:355–367.

Published In

Adv Med Educ Pract

DOI

ISSN

1179-7258

Publication Date

2022

Volume

13

Start / End Page

355 / 367

Location

New Zealand

Related Subject Headings

  • 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy
  • 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy