Efficacy of peer-assisted learning across residencies for procedural training in dermatology

With new care models such as the medical home, there is an expanding need for primary care providers to be trained in dermatologic procedures. Yet, many internal medicine residency program graduates feel unprepared to perform these procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a structured peer-assisted learning approach to improve residents' knowledge and skills related to common dermatologic assessment techniques.

Eight medicine-dermatology resident educators, with a faculty member, facilitated dermatologic procedure workshops for 28 internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics resident learners. Learners completed preworkshop and postworkshop surveys, assessing their knowledge and skill levels as well as the efficacy of the resident educators and the educational value of the workshop as a whole.

All learners were able to properly demonstrate the techniques at the workshop's conclusion. The median sum score of self-reported knowledge increased from 3 to 9.5 (scale, 0-10; P < .001). The median sum score of self-reported skills increased from 10 to 16 (scale, 4-20; P < .001). Resident educators were favorably evaluated by their peers, and 96% of participants rated the experience as being of high educational value.

Peer-assisted learning is effective in teaching dermatologic procedures in graduate medical education. Resident learners found peer-assisted learning to be beneficial and rated their peer teachers highly. Further studies should focus on outcomes in practice, looking at the number of dermatologic procedures performed by learners, as well as the effects on resident educators.