Defining curricular priorities for student-as-teacher programs: A National Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Curriculum Development
• Pedagogical Training

Background:

• Student-as-Teacher (SaT) programs are increasing to equip medical students with essential teaching skills for future practice.
• However, there is a lack of consensus on the core content that should be included in SaT curricula.
• This study addresses the need to define essential components for effective SaT program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a consensus on five to ten "essential" content areas for inclusion in "Student-as-Teacher" (SaT) curricula.
• To provide a foundational framework for developing standardized and effective SaT training programs.
• To guide medical educators in curriculum design for preparing future physician educators.

Main Methods:

• A three-round Delphi process was employed, surveying a panel of 28 medical educators from 25 US medical schools.
• Participants rated potential curriculum topics on a 3-point scale: "essential," "important, but not essential," or "not important."
• Consensus was defined as ≥70% agreement on a topic's importance, with accepted topics removed from subsequent survey rounds.

Main Results:

• A 100% response rate was achieved across all three survey rounds.
• Five content areas achieved consensus as "essential" for SaT curricula: feedback, bedside teaching and clinical precepting, small-group teaching, case-based teaching, and professionalism as a medical educator.
• These findings provide a clear set of core competencies for medical student teaching training.

Conclusions:

• The identified essential content areas represent a significant first step towards implementing developmentally appropriate "Student-as-Teacher" competencies.
• This consensus among medical education leaders offers a practical guide for enhancing SaT program curricula.
• The findings support the standardization and improvement of medical student teaching preparation.