The Student Grand Round: A Peer Teaching Initiative

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Training
• Peer-to-Peer Learning

Background:

• Medical school curricula often lack emphasis on oral presentation and public speaking skills.
• Traditional lecture-based learning may not adequately foster active learning or practical communication abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a student-led grand round initiative on medical students' knowledge retention and confidence in Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR) handovers.
• To assess the role of student-led teaching in developing medical students' teaching skills and promoting active learning within the curriculum.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 21 third-year medical students participated in a weekly peer-teaching program.
• Students presented clinical cases, researched background information, and taught peers interactively, followed by practicing SBAR handovers.
• Knowledge was assessed via quizzes, and confidence was measured through surveys before and after sessions.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in overall quiz scores, with average scores increasing from 51% to 70% (p=0.043).
• Demonstrated significant increases in understanding of medical topics and confidence in performing SBAR handovers.
• Post-session surveys indicated significant student recommendation for the program (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

• Student-led grand rounds utilizing peer teaching are effective in enhancing medical students' understanding of complex topics.
• This initiative significantly boosts confidence in public speaking and clinical handover skills, better preparing students for future practice.
• Peer teaching represents a valuable pedagogical approach for developing essential clinical and communication competencies in medical education.