This month the IAMSE publications committee review is taken from the article entitled Peer‑Led Versus Conventional Teacher‑Led Methodological Research Education Sessions: An Initiative to Improve Medical Education Research Teaching (15 June 2023) by Maria Anna Bantounou & Niraj Kumar.
Overview of the study: To enhance doctors’ engagement with research, the National Medical Research Association (NMRA) developed a research teaching series, delivering peer-led (PL) sessions by medical students and conventional teacher-led (CL) sessions by licensed physicians/lecturers. This article assesses the effectiveness of the series and compares the PL and CL approaches. Thirteen teaching sessions were delivered virtually via Zoom weekly either delivered by peers or conventional teachers. Feedback was provided by participants on completion of every session using a 10-point Likert scale assessing their knowledge pre-and post-training. A total of 87 participants were included generating 782 feedback forms, 367 (47.1%) for PL and 412 for CL sessions. The median knowledge scores significantly increased following each session (p-value < 0.05) independent of the teaching approach. An overall improvement in the median knowledge score from all sessions from 5/10 to 8/10 was reported. There was no significant difference between knowledge gained from the CL or PL teaching. Didactic PL research training sessions are equally effective as CL sessions.
Implications for medical education: It is established that research is an important part of undergraduate medical education. The teaching of research skills is inconsistent at medical schools and space is very limited in the required curriculum time. Prior research skills vary and this is especially true in the UK system where medical students are in a 6-year program post high school. As post-graduate training becomes more competitive research is an outcome that can distinguish a student upon medical school graduation. This article delivers an online curriculum and assesses how students can increase their knowledge of essential research skills post a formal program. The data collected was on knowledge acquisition pre/post each session and not over knowledge if they attended most of the sessions or all thirteen. The impact of attending multiple research sessions on research potential and possible outcomes would be interesting. Limitations are appropriately stated as well. The final important implication of peer teaching vs conventional teachers is a very important outcome of this paper. Medical students want to practice teaching to be ready for teaching as future physician educators. This paper supports that peers can be successful teachers. This outcome also aligns with the need for resources needed to offer curriculum content outside of the required medical curriculum. Conventional teachers are a limited resource for extra or co-curriculum content (elective or selective). Peers as a resource are beneficial to the school, students as teachers, and students who are learners. This article encourages medical education leaders to develop near-peer teaching opportunities.
Alice Fornari, EdD, FAMEE, RDN, HEC-C
Professor of Science Education & Family Medicine
Associate Dean of Educational Skills Development,
Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell
Vice President of Faculty Development at Northwell Health