Near-peer-assisted learning for training undergraduate medical students in clinical ophthalmology skills

This study aims to formally evaluate near-peer-assisted learning (NPAL) for teaching clinical ophthalmology skills to second-year undergraduate medical students through their fellow medical interns.

Interns posted at the department of ophthalmology were included as tutors after an initial sensitization and assessment. Second-year undergraduate students were included as tutees. Sessions were conducted for pre-identified clinical skills in batches of 3-5 tutees each. Perceptions of tutors and tutees were captured on a 5-point Likert scale (Kirkpatrick level-1) and evaluated. Tutors were assessed by directly observed procedural skills (DOPS) and tutees by pre- and post-session scores and performance of the respective clinical skills (Kirkpatrick level-2).

A total of 21 of 24 tutors and 82 of 100 tutees responded to the evaluation questionnaire. Tutors perceived themselves as knowledgeable and useful as instructors; scores of second DOPS session significantly improved compared to the first (p = 0.001) for all clinical skills. Tutees found the NPAL sessions effective for learning clinical skills. Pre- and post-test scores significantly improved (p = 0.001), and all clinical skills were satisfactorily performed in the end-of-term exam.

NPAL was perceived as an effective teaching-learning method by both tutees and tutors, and all clinical skills were performed successfully. NPAL can serve as a useful adjunct to traditional teaching for clinical training of small groups and can help alleviate teaching pressures on already burdened clinical faculty in Indian Medical colleges.