A Student-Led Reciprocal Mentoring Approach to Strengthen Resident Educators and Cultivate Student Leadership in the Clinical Learning Environment

Introduction There is growing urgency to support the transition from medical student to resident educator and physician leader. Although ACGME and LCME standards enforce residents’ roles to teach and lead in clinical learning environments (CLE), gaps in student readiness for transition to residency persist given limited focus on team dynamics and honest, constructive feedback in nonjudgmental settings. Rising clinical and administrative demands constrain teaching capacity, highlighting the need for active approaches to prepare residents and students for educational, clinical, and leadership roles. Methods At SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, medical students developed a curriculum using near-peer perspectives to promote resident self-reflection, enhancing role-modeling and teaching skills, and student self-reflection, accelerating development as future resident leaders. Clerkship students led 75-minute discussions with residents and fellows using specialty-specific clinical vignettes. Sessions demonstrated how learner-centered communication fosters resident-student collaboration, enhancing patient care and team dynamics. Results We collected 293 responses from residents and fellows across 7 specialties. Postsession data showed favorable responses: 85.1% rated sessions worthwhile, 92.9% were likely to implement strategies, and 89% recommended student participation. In the revised phase, residents reported improved confidence in identifying student needs, increased frequency of integrating students, providing feedback (P < .0001), and likelihood of fostering a positive CLE (P < .0002). Discussion This reciprocal mentoring model facilitates bidirectional exchange, enabling students to cultivate leadership while residents strengthen mentorship skills. By bridging undergraduate and graduate medical education, this curriculum promotes training continuity and helps residents balance clinical and teaching roles, improving outcomes for learners and patients.