INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF MENTORSHIP IN DENTAL EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENT OUTCOMES, A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYTICAL STUDY

Background: Mentorship in dental education has emerged as a vital element influencing students' academic development, clinical competence, professional identity, and overall satisfaction. As dental training becomes increasingly demanding, structured mentorship programs may serve to enhance student support, reduce academic stress, and bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical application. Objective: To investigate the role of mentorship in dental education and assess its impact on academic performance, clinical skills development, professional confidence, and perceived well-being among dental students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted at Liaquat college of medicine and dentistry over a period of july 2024 to January 2025, including 550 undergraduate dental students selected through non-probability consecutive sampling. Results: Out of 550 dental students, 305 who received mentorship outperformed the 245 non-mentored students across multiple domains. GPA ≥ 3.5 was achieved by 48% of mentored students compared to 26% of non-mentored (p < 0.001). Clinical competency scores ≥ 90 were seen in 38% of mentored versus 15% of non-mentored students (p < 0.001). Professional confidence rated as “high” or “very high” was reported by 78% of mentored students compared to 31% in the non-mentored group (p < 0.001). Psychological well-being was significantly better among mentored students, with only 8% experiencing severe stress versus 24% of non-mentored peers (p < 0.001). Longer mentorship duration was associated with even higher academic and clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Mentorship plays a significant positive role in dental education by improving academic outcomes, clinical competency, and student confidence, while simultaneously promoting emotional well-being. Institutionalizing structured mentorship programs may be a valuable strategy to optimize student performance and resilience in dental training environments.