Near peer integrated teaching for final year medical students

Medical students preparing for final exams need practical and theoretical knowledge. We evaluated a junior doctor led integrated programme delivering theoretical and practical teaching.

An 8-week junior-doctor led teaching programme was set up for final year medical students. Theory, OSCE and bedside teaching on selected weekly clinical themes were run. Satisfaction was evaluated using a questionnaire survey.

Almost all agreed that the programme was useful and that an integrated approach to teaching was more beneficial than separate and unrelated lectures and practical teaching. The majority agreed that theory sessions and practical sessions had improved their confidence for finals and agreed they felt more prepared for work as a doctor. Most agreed that the Facebook® group provided an easily accessible platform for communication and sharing learning resources. Some comments, however, highlighted limitations particularly in the ability to answer difficult questions.

Integrated teaching by junior doctors in small groups appeared to be an efficient teaching method (for theoretical and clinical skills) for medical students, improving their confidence for finals and life as a doctor and provided useful opportunities for junior doctors to develop as clinical teachers. This can be a useful blueprint for other hospitals.