Peer teaching beyond the formal medical curriculum

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pedagogy
• Academic Teaching

Background:

• Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is common in medical education, often subject-specific.
• Existing PAL programs typically focus on single subjects or specific curriculum points.
• A need exists for broader peer teaching initiatives addressing diverse student learning requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a large-scale peer teaching program designed for individual student needs.
• To evaluate the program's development, acceptance, and impact on academic teaching.
• To assess the program's role in complementing the formal medical curriculum.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data analysis of program implementation and growth from 2008/09 to 2015/16.
• Tracking the number of tutors, tutorials, lessons, and tutees over time.
• Analyzing tutee evaluation data to gauge program satisfaction and effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The program expanded significantly from 24 tutors and 3 tutorials to 140 tutors and 52 tutorials.
• In 2015/16, the program delivered 2,750 lessons to 1,938 tutees.
• Tutee evaluations showed high satisfaction, with 93.5% rating courses as "good" or "excellent".

Conclusions:

• Large-scale peer teaching programs can effectively supplement formal medical curricula.
• The program offers benefits for tutors, enhancing didactic and content competencies.
• Tutees gain opportunities to autonomously consolidate and expand their knowledge through peer instruction.