Training Medical Student Facilitators of Peer-Assisted Study Sessions Using an Objective Standardized Teaching Exercise

Peer-assisted study sessions (P.A.S.S.) are medical student-facilitated small-group sessions that aim to improve students' knowledge and performance in preclinical courses. Peer teaching has been shown to have a positive impact on academic performance of both learners and peer teachers. For peer teaching to be more effective, there is a need for training of peer teachers. We developed a facilitator training workshop to help to improve medical students' confidence in serving as P.A.S.S. facilitators.

Participants were first-year medical students who were approved to become P.A.S.S. facilitators. We recruited facilitators to attend a training workshop and provided them with a training manual to use during the training session and as a resource after the session. We recruited five standardized students to participate in an objective standardized teaching exercise (OSTE). We asked facilitators to complete pre/post surveys before and after the workshop to indicate their level of confidence in facilitating the sessions and provide feedback on the workshop.

Nine P.A.S.S. facilitators participated in the training session. Analysis of pre- and postworkshop survey data showed a statistically significant increase in student confidence (p ≤ .02).

Developing and implementing a formalized P.A.S.S. facilitator training manual and workshop with an OSTE helped improve students' confidence in facilitating an organized, effective, and interactive peer teaching session. Students' positive feedback on the OSTE suggests that OSTEs can be useful tools to help peer teachers learn skills to cope with challenging situations with students.