Near-Peer Tutoring for Surgical Examination Preparation for Final Year Exam Readiness (Project SEPFYR)

Background: Traditional surgical education often lacks targeted preparation for the interactive components of examinations, such as viva voce and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assessments. We present our approach and explore the efficacy of a near-peer tutoring program aimed at enhancing final-year students' readiness for such assessments.

Methods: Project SEPFYR (surgical exam prep for final year exam readiness) was conducted within a near-peer tutoring framework and comprised interactive discussions of selected case scenarios focusing on viva voce techniques and OSCE responses. Pre- and postprogram anonymized web-based surveys were employed to assess perceived self-efficacy among participants, while the Stanford Faculty Development Program-26 (SFDP-26) tool was used to evaluate the performance of tutors.

Results: Near-peer tutoring intervention resulted in improvements in perceived self-efficacy scores among final-year students. Additionally, tutors demonstrated high-quality facilitation skills as evaluated by the SFDP-26.

Conclusions: Near-peer tutoring is a promising approach to enhance surgical examination readiness, particularly in addressing interactive assessment components. This model fosters a supportive learning environment while leveraging the expertise and relatability of near-peer tutors.