A Novel Approach to Medical Student Peer-assisted Learning Through Case-based Simulations

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation-Based Learning
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Peer-assisted learning (PAL) enhances medical education by fostering teaching skills and creating safe learning environments.
• Traditional simulations can be resource-intensive, necessitating innovative approaches for medical clerkships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, low-cost, tablet-based peer-assisted learning (PAL) simulation for emergency medicine (EM) clerkships.
• To assess student satisfaction and learning effectiveness compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Developed five EM oral board-style clinical cases for a peer-assisted learning (PAL) curriculum.
• Fourth-year medical students led and participated in low-fidelity, case-based simulations using a tablet app (SimMon) for vital signs.
• A faculty member provided oversight, and a pilot-tested survey evaluated the educational experience.

Main Results:

• High learner satisfaction (4.6/5) was reported by 135 students.
• Students perceived PAL simulations as a safe, engaging, and more effective learning method than traditional simulations.
• Faculty observed sustained student engagement with minimal oversight.

Conclusions:

• This low-fidelity, student-assisted simulation model offers a cost-, resource-, and time-effective educational experience for medical student clerkships.
• The tablet-based PAL approach successfully promotes accountability, teaching skills, and efficient faculty utilization in emergency medicine education.