Medical Students as Educators: Students' Experience, Interest, and Confidence in Teaching

Background: Medical students represent the next generation of physician educators, yet may not be prepared to meet future teaching responsibilities.

Methods: An electronic survey was sent to medical students at a US allopathic institution to assess their experience, interest, and confidence in teaching.

Results: Most students indicated interest in teaching medical students (n = 91, 62%) or residents (n = 88, 60%) postresidency. Less than half expressed confidence in teaching clinical interviewing/physical exam skills (n = 71, 49%), lecture/didactic (n = 62, 42%), and procedural techniques (n = 41, 28%).

Discussion: Many medical students identified having only nascent medical teaching skills and expressed interest in elective opportunities. Formal teaching programs are necessary to cultivate medical students as effective physician educators.