Near-Peer Paradigms in Medical School: Integrating Student Teaching Assistants Into a Core Radiology Clerkship

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology Training
• Near-Peer Teaching

Background:

• Near-peer teaching models effectively support students in clinical settings.
• Integrating teaching assistants (TAs) into radiology clerkships offers an innovative educational approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the educational value of a radiology clerkship incorporating TAs from the perspective of clinical-year learners.
• To assess the impact of the TA experience on the professional growth of medical student TAs.

Main Methods:

• A U.S. medical school implemented a radiology clerkship with faculty and TA-led didactic sessions.
• Learner didactic session value was assessed via a five-point scale survey.
• TA professional growth was evaluated using a five-point Likert survey.

Main Results:

• TA-created and led review sessions received the highest educational ratings among all didactic sessions.
• All surveyed TAs (100%) reported enjoyment and willingness to recommend the experience.
• TAs strongly agreed the experience enhanced their interest in radiology and academic medicine.

Conclusions:

• Near-peer education within a radiology clerkship benefits both learners and TAs.
• This model can foster interest in academic radiology careers and expand medical school radiology curricula.