Peer Power in Action: How our PTY Mentoring Scheme is Transforming Placement Support

A student-led mentoring initiative is bridging a crucial gap in placement preparation by pairing students who have successfully completed their placements with those just beginning the process, offering insider insights, guidance, and confidence-building support. Dr Shalinee Dhayal outlines her approach to a implementing this support.

Securing a Professional Training Year (PTY) placement can be a daunting process. Despite workshops and staff support, many students find applications and interviews among the most challenging aspects of their degree. As the academic lead for PTY, I launched a new initiative to help ease this journey for three undergraduate programmes in the Clinical & Biomedical Sciences (CBS) department – the PTY One-to-One Peer Mentoring Scheme.

The idea was simple but powerful: connect students preparing for their PTY with those who have already been through it. Who better to offer relatable, practical advice than someone who has successfully navigated the process themselves.

Launching the Scheme

In the 2024–25 academic year, 28 mentor-mentee pairs participated, involving more than half of all PTY students in CBS and highlighting the scheme’s significant reach and impact. Mentors were recruited and completed a simple, flexible online training programme offered by the university’s Peer Support team. Mentees were matched based on their placement type and area of interest, ensuring mentees received relevant guidance. Mentors and mentees had the flexibility to arrange meetings in ways that fit their schedules, whether that was an informal coffee, an email exchange or a structured catch-up.

The level of engagement was remarkable for a first-year scheme. And while only 20% of students completed the feedback survey, the responses we received paint a clear picture of impact and success.

What Mentees told us

100% of mentees who responded said the mentorship was useful and met their expectations. Many praised the practical support they received with applications, interview preparation and placement search especially for competitive or overseas placements.

Some highlights from mentees:

• “I felt fully supported from the first stages of placement application to advice for interviews. The in-person meetings were always positive and useful. ‘xx’ even went out of her way to send me placement openings which I was grateful for.”
• “I loved my mentor, her advice was ace and was actually the reason I found a placement.”
• “My mentor helped me so much with all the extra details required for going abroad for my PTY… these types of schemes are some of the best opportunities gained at university!”
• “So helpful answering all the questions I had, thank you! :)”

Beyond the practical help, mentees described the scheme as confidence-boosting and empowering, some even said it inspired them to become mentors themselves in the future.

What Mentors Gained

The PTY One-to-One Peer Mentoring Scheme benefits mentors as much as mentees. Mentors reported that participating enhanced their communication, teamwork, mentoring, and leadership skills, improved their interpersonal abilities, fostered reciprocal learning, and created networking opportunities, while also boosting their confidence, valuable for any career. Through the Peer Support team’s training pathway, mentors gain formal recognition and development: their role can count toward the Exeter Award, be recorded on the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) at graduation, support applications for AFHEA, enable involvement in regional Peer Support networks, and even lead to nomination for Mentor of the Year.

As one mentor put it: “I found this scheme very rewarding, thank you for organising Shalinee!” Another added: “I really enjoyed taking part in the scheme this year, and hope it continues well next year!”

What Worked Well and What’s Next

The flexible, student-led structure was one of the scheme’s biggest strengths. As one participant said: “It’s a good idea to let mentors and mentees organise meetings on their own time instead of having fixed timetabled sessions.” The combination of emails and occasional meetings provided a good balance for busy schedules.

Students also offered constructive suggestions for the future:

• Introduce a little more structure, such as set advice mentors can share if mentees aren’t sure what to ask.
• Organise informal networking events (like a coffee session) so mentors and mentees can share experiences as a wider group.

Both ideas will be explored as the scheme evolves for its second year.

Building a Culture of Peer Support

The first year of the PTY One-to-One Peer Mentoring Scheme has been a resounding success. It is clear that peer-to-peer support fills a vital gap in placement preparation, helping students feel more confident, connected and ready for what is ahead.

By learning from those just a step ahead, students not only gain insider knowledge but also see that success is possible. And as mentors develop their own skills while helping others, the benefits ripple through the whole CBS community.

With even stronger networks and refinements planned for next year, the future of PTY mentoring looks bright. Peer support works and the enthusiasm from both mentors and mentees shows just how much students value opportunities to lift each other up.

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