Introduction

Mentoring is the process in which an experienced person (mentor) guides another (mentee), with the aim of improving their skills and / or knowledge, to develop their professional capabilities. That is why the Mentoring Program was implemented before and during the beginning of clinical subjects, of the Dentistry career of the Universidad Austral de Chile.

Objective

Know the opinion of the students who participated, regarding the development of the Program.

Method

A study framed in the qualitative paradigm was carried out, through an intrinsic case study. The sampling was non-probabilistic, intentional, by criteria, composed of 20 students, with prior informed consent. Data collection was through 8 in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups of 6 students each. Data analysis wasperformed by Glaser and Strauss constant comparison method, following the sequence of Miles and Huberman: data reduction, provision / transformation and obtaining / verifying conclusions, using the Atlas ti program as a computational resource.

Results

403 units of meaning were identified, grouped into 24 categories, emerging 9 metacategories and 3 domains: “meaning of mentoring”, ”mentor-mentee relationship", and "influential factors in the development of the program".

Conclusions

The program for most of the mentees was significant and beneficial in the academic, professional and personal aspects, increasing their self-confidence. It also evidenced a transition in the teacher / student relationship, from a distant one to a close link, of accompaniment and constant guidance. They would have expected a permanent accompaniment throughout the clinical cycle and suggest that the participating teachers have pedagogical training.