Peer teaching and Pecha Kucha for pharmacology

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pharmacology Education

Background:

• Peer teaching, where students at similar academic levels teach each other, has proven effective for clinical and procedural skills in medical education.
• This study aimed to develop and assess a peer-led pharmacology educational initiative for its feasibility, acceptability, and value as a learning tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a peer teaching initiative for pharmacology education among second-year medical students.
• To assess student perceptions of the initiative's effectiveness in improving pharmacology knowledge, teaching abilities, and independent learning skills.

Main Methods:

• A 2-month peer-led pharmacology educational initiative was implemented for 62 second-year medical students.
• Students created time-limited PowerPoint presentations (Pecha Kucha style) on medications, with sessions facilitated by senior academics.
• An anonymous questionnaire assessed learner perceptions of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness, alongside facilitator reflections.

Main Results:

• 72% of surveyed students reported improved pharmacology knowledge, 79% improved teaching skills, and 76% improved independent learning skills.
• Student satisfaction with peer teaching quality (72%) and expert facilitation (97%) was high.
• Despite some reporting information overload (39%), 79% found the experience valuable.

Conclusions:

• The peer teaching initiative demonstrated value in enhancing pharmacology learning for medical students.
• Adjustments such as reducing session length or increasing intervals are suggested to mitigate information overload in future implementations.
• Further refinement of this peer teaching model can optimize its utility for medical pharmacology education.