I am Pol, currently a Trainee Pharmacist at Cohens Chemist. I want to share with you an interesting peer-mentoring programme I was involved in during an undergraduate research project at the University of Manchester (UoM). 

Our Division launched an International Student Experience Programme (ISEP) to support and help the Chinese students from China Pharmaceutical University (CPU) to transition to the United Kingdom (UK). I was honoured to attend a zoom meeting on 27th October 2021 to observe how this peer-mentoring programme was performed. This was the first welcome event for the CPU students, allowing them to meet academics in a smaller group.  

At the beginning of the meeting, our division staff delivered an opening speech, introducing the objectives of ISEP and what sessions and topics will be involved in the following monthly meetings. Two senior student mentors (including myself) briefly talked about life and study in Manchester. All the student mentees were excited to listen, and there were occasional interactions between them and the mentors. 

To ensure each one had an equal chance to speak, mentors and their mentees were grouped in different breakout rooms so that they could meet and chat with each other. Some Chinese students were very active and responsive in the conversation. At the same time, others were shy and conservative in speaking as they were less confident in their English.  

Our mentors did not show any impatience. Instead, they kept encouraging the students and being a good listener. Mentors also played some ice-breaking games with their mentees to break the awkwardness. Although it took a bit of time for some students to open up, they eventually began to speak, sharing their feelings, expectations and thoughts in English. 

At the end of the meeting, mentees were asked for feedback and reflections from the presentation and were encouraged to highlight their expectations and the areas they might need help with when transitioning to the UK. These insights help develop a supporting system required to facilitate students’ learning experiences in the BSc Clinical Pharmacy programme.  

Overall, the event was positively accepted, and students better understood what to expect from the programme. The peer-mentoring scheme should address students’ concerns, facilitate cultural awareness and encourage students to communicate with their peers. I am happy to be part of the programme.

Pol Donald Nkana Nkana MPharm alumnus, Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacist at Cohens Chemist 

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