Academic performance and progression among near-peer tutors: A comparative analysis in undergraduate medical...

Near-peer teaching (NPT) in medical education supports active learning and peer engagement while fostering professional development. However, the academic benefits for NPT tutors, including effects on performance and graduation timelines, remain underexplored.

We evaluated the impact of NPT participation on academic outcomes, including grade point averages (GPAs), final examination performance, and curriculum adherence. A five-year dataset comprising 1544 medical students was analyzed. Academic performance metrics included GPAs from basic sciences and clinical rotations, diploma GPA, final board exam scores, and progression through semesters. Multiple regression and Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), adjusting for baseline performance and confounders, were used to assess associations.

NPT tutors were found to have significantly higher diploma GPAs (+0.24, p < .001) and State exam scores (+0.15, p < .001) than non-tutors. They also had fewer passive semesters (-0.25, p < .001) and shorter total study duration (-0.79 semesters, p < .001). Non-linear interactions were observed between early academic performance and later outcomes.

Participation as an NPT tutor was associated with higher academic performance and more efficient curricular progression. Academic benefits were most pronounced among students with lower preclinical GPAs, suggesting that NPT may represent a high-impact opportunity to support students who face early academic challenges.