Cross-year peer tutoring on internal medicine wards: results of a qualitative focus group analysis

Abstract

BackgroundPeer-assisted learning (PAL) has become a well-accepted teaching method within medical education. However, descriptions of on-ward PAL programs are rare. A focus group analysis of a newly established PAL program on an internal medicine ward was conducted to provide insights into PAL teaching from a student perspective.PurposeTo provide insights into students’ experiences regarding their on-ward training with and without accompanying PAL tutors.MethodsA total of N=168 medical students in their sixth semester participated in the investigation (intervention group: N=88; control group: N=80). The intervention group took part in the PAL program, while the control group received standard on-ward training. There were seven focus groups with N=43 participants (intervention group: four focus groups, N=28 participants; control group: three focus groups, N=15 participants). The discussions were analyzed using content analysis.ResultsThe intervention group emphasized the role of the tutors as competent and well-trained teachers, most beneficial in supervising clinical skills. Tutors motivate students, help them to integrate into the ward team, and provide a non-fear-based working relationship whereby students’ anxiety regarding working on ward decreases. The control group had to rely on autodidactic learning strategies when neither supervising physicians nor final-year students were available.ConclusionOn-ward PAL programs represent a particularly valuable tool for students’ support in training clinical competencies on ward. The tutor–student working alliance acts through its flat hierarchy. Nevertheless, tutors cannot represent an adequate substitute for experienced physicians.

Teaching Medical Students to Teach: A Narrative Review and Literature-Informed Recommendations for Student-as-Teacher Curricula

“…Of these, 33 described and evaluated specific SaT curricula implemented at various medical schools (see Appendix 1). 15–47 The remaining articles included 3 literature reviews, 3,9,10 6 surveys of medical school faculty leadership or medical students, 5–7,48–50 and 1 Delphi study. 51…”

“…Similar findings were identified when reviewing the 33 published SaT curricula that provided formal teaching skills training, as summarized in Appendix 1. 15–47 The majority of these curricula were developed for senior medical students (25/33) 16,19–21,23–29,32,34–44,46,47 and were optional (27/33) 15,18,20–27,29–37,39–46 in nature. Most curricula were described as short courses, though 7 were developed as longitudinal experiences.…”

Introduction to the Pécs Model: Innovation in Teaching Medical History Taking

“…Since the1980's peer assistance in acquisition of clinical skills has achieved immense recognition and widely accepted, e.g., in Germany (Krautter et al, 2014) the University of Heidelberg, the model is called PAL (peer assisted learning). The university's senior medical students assist their junior university students in the studies of history-taking.…”

Opening up a tailored tutor qualification program for medical students to other healthcare students – a mixed-method study

“…A form of leadership based on joint decision-making is required to ensure good cooperation within an interprofessional team, which poses a challenge to lecturers with traditional, hierarchical role models [ 28 ]. Hierarchical gradients between student tutors and student learners are at a minimum [ 29 ], and thus tutors and learners gradually build an interactional relationship [ 30 ]. Interprofessional peer teaching opens up the possibility of breaking down traditional role patterns.…”