A Near-Peer Interprofessional Educational Fellowship Program for Training Pre-Clinical Medical Students in the Best Practices of Teaching and Learning

Med Sci Educ. 2023 Dec 14;34(1):181-191. doi: 10.1007/s40670-023-01936-3. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Medical school often has opportunities for students to engage in peer or near-peer teaching, however structured teacher training is rarely conducted. We present an Educational Fellowship for rising M2 students as teaching assistants for first year Physician Assistant students. In this near-peer interprofessional teaching model, the M2 students learn pedagogical theory and best practices for teaching and learning. The curriculum and experience may be used by any healthcare profession. Since many healthcare professions have classes during the summer, we present our program as a conceptual model for other institutions.

Keywords: Interprofessional education; Medical school; Near-pear teaching; Physician Assistant program; Practice-based learning environment; Undergraduate medical education.