Learning through Teaching: Peer Teaching and Mentoring Experiences among Third-Year Medical Students. 2022

Monica M Yang, and Blair P Golden, and Kenzie A Cameron, and Lauren Gard, and Jennifer A Bierman, and Daniel B Evans, and Bruce L Henschen
Division of Rheumatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Classroom studies of peer-led teaching and mentoring report benefits for students both as teachers and learners. Such benefits include both improved content mastery and personal and professional development. While benefits of peer-led teaching in the clinical setting have been well characterized among other health professions, less is known within undergraduate medical education. In this study, we explored medical students' perceptions and experiences relevant to peer teaching and mentoring in outpatient clinical clerkships. Third-year medical students enrolled in two different longitudinal primary care clerkships, Education Centered Medical Home (ECMH) or Individual Preceptorship (IP), participated in semi-structured interviews in 2018. Students were asked to describe their peer teaching experiences during the clerkship and to reflect on their experiences serving as role models or mentors. We analyzed transcripts utilizing a two-cycle team-based inductive approach. Thirty-three students completed interviews. We derived three main themes: (1) diversity of peer teaching and mentoring opportunities, (2) transitioning one's role from learner to teacher, and (3) personal and professional development. While participants from both clerkships participated in peer teaching and mentoring experiences, ECMH students described more opportunities to interact with students across all years of medical school training, noting that "getting that guidance and in turn being able to teach is a valuable experience." ECMH students further perceived the responsibility of creating a comfortable learning environment for others. Students from both clerkships reflected on 'learning through teaching,' that teaching served as a reaffirmation of the knowledge they gained, and that teaching experience contributed to their personal and professional growth. Students perceived their participation in peer teaching and mentoring experiences in the clinical setting as contributing positively to personal and professional development. Students from both clerkships reflected on their teaching and mentoring opportunities as a facilitator of growth in their own teaching skills; ECMH students further described a heightened sense of self-confidence and fulfillment. These findings highlight the importance of creating learning environments that foster peer teaching and mentoring, as such opportunities may lead to further growth as a learner and as a physician.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008611 Mentors Senior professionals who provide guidance, direction and support to those persons desirous of improvement in academic positions, administrative positions or other career development situations. Mentorships,Mentor,Mentorship
D010379 Peer Group Group composed of associates of same species, approximately the same age, and usually of similar rank or social status. Group, Peer,Groups, Peer,Peer Groups
D002982 Clinical Clerkship Undergraduate education programs for second- , third- , and fourth-year students in health sciences in which the students receive clinical training and experience in teaching hospitals or affiliated health centers. Clerkship, Clinical,Clerkships, Clinical,Clinical Apprenticeship,Clinical Clerkships,Apprenticeship, Clinical,Apprenticeships, Clinical,Clinical Apprenticeships
D004504 Education, Medical, Undergraduate The period of medical education in a medical school. In the United States it follows the baccalaureate degree and precedes the granting of the M.D. Medical Education, Undergraduate,Education, Undergraduate Medical,Undergraduate Medical Education
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000071252 Mentoring The art and practice of training, guiding, COUNSELING, and providing support to a less experienced, trained, or knowledgeable person. Coaching
D013337 Students, Medical Individuals enrolled in a school of medicine or a formal educational program in medicine. Medical Student,Medical Students,Student, Medical

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