of structured teaching resources may discourage current FY involvement and limit the delivery of paediatric-specific content.Peer and near-peer teaching are validated teaching models that have been integrated into the curricula of many medical schools. We aimed to develop a structured paediatric nearpeer assisted learning (PaedsPALs) programme run by FY doctors for undergraduate students on paediatric rotations. Methods We piloted PaedsPALs at a single district general hospital. This involved the development of standardized casebased sessions content, which were approved by paediatric consultants. Sessions were then delivered by FY tutors in the form of two 1 hour case-based teaching sessions on key paediatric cardiorespiratory conditions. These were followed by a formative mock-OSCE at the end of the placement. Students completed anonymous pre-and post-teaching questionnaires, capturing quantitative and qualitative data. Further feedback was obtained from FYs who delivered the programme, providing information about the tutor experience, confidence to deliver paediatric-specific content, and contribution of the programme to teaching experience. Results Case-based sessions improved student confidence in cardiorespiratory topics by 40.2% (n=17). Students described the sessions as 'interactive', 'clear teaching', and having 'great structure'. 82.8% of students 'strongly agreed' and 17.2% 'agreed' that the mock-OSCE was useful to their learning, and the same proportion felt that having tailored feedback immediately after each station was more useful than having generalised feedback at the end of the mock-OSCE (n=22).Participating in the teaching programme increased FYs confidence in delivering paediatric teaching by 25%. 75% of FYs agreed, and 25% strongly agreed that the programme increased their desire to get involved with further paediatric teaching (n=4). Conclusion PaedsPALs improved student confidence in paediatric cardiorespiratory topics, and facilitated FYs to gain critical teaching skills for their portfolio. We are now exploring the feasibility of roll-out across multiple teaching hospitals. Overall, PaedsPALs offers a novel opportunity to enhance paediatric teaching for undergraduates on clinical attachments.
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