Dentists' Perceptions of Their Peer Learning Experiences in Dental School and Effects on Practice

Peer-assisted learning (PAL) has been found in medical, nursing, and dental education research to aid in preparing students to develop clinical judgment, leadership, and teamwork skills. This study sought to extend that research by assessing the effect of PAL on dentists in practice. The aim of this study was to ask practicing dentists who were clinically trained with PAL in dental school for their perceptions of the effects and value of that training for their patient care, team relations, and professional development. In addition, participants were asked for recommendations to improve pairing and the matching process. An electronic survey was sent in October 2017 to all 667 dentists who graduated from Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona from 2012 to 2017, all of whom had been trained in a PAL-general practice model. A total 107 alumni responded, for a 16% overall response rate; the response rate averaged 16.7% for each class. The majority (83.6%) of responding dentists recommended peer learning in clinical dental education. Survey participants attributed their clinical judgment (72.3%) and teamwork (80.9%) skills to peer pairing in dental school. Among the respondents, 89.8% had taken leadership roles and were training team members, and 75.7% reported enjoying teaching others. Of the 65% who commented on peer pairing enhancements, 15% recommended rotation of peers for greater learning experiences, and 24% advised personality assessments for future pair matching. These results suggested that participating in PAL had helped prepare these alumni for practice.