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Outcome‐based approaches to education and the inherent emphasis on programmatic assessment in particular, require models of mentoring in which mentors fulfil dual roles: coach and assessor. Fulfilling multiple roles could result in role confusion or even role conflicts, both of which may affect mentoring processes and outcomes. In this study, we explored how mentors conceptualise and enact their role in a multiple‐role mentoring system and to what extent they experience role conflicts.

We conducted a constructivist grounded theory study at one undergraduate medical school. A purposive sample of 12 physician‐mentors active in a programmatic assessment system was interviewed. Data analysis followed stages of open, axial and selective coding through which themes were constructed.

Three predominant mentoring approaches were constructed: (i) empowering (a reflective …