Dear Sir
Whilst on an Obstetrics and Gynaecology placement, I was pleasantly surprised at the benefits of working alongside an allied health care student – a student midwife.
This is the only time in my undergraduate training I have shared any teaching with an allied health student, and the benefits of this were great. Peer teaching is on the increase and heavily encouraged in medical schools, and has a large presence online with peer teaching resource exchange freely available from many internet sites.
Yet peer teaching is typically medical student to medical student. We are overlooking the fact that many allied health care students are focally excellent in their subject areas.
My experience showed me the midwife student had the skill and passion about her subject to teach us, and her knowledge easily surpassed that of mine. I have had 6 weeks on an Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward, compared to her 30 months. But, this is the strength in the concept, as with her 30 months of learning she was able to pass over to me purely the important facts.
I am very aware that inter-professional teaching has been used effectively for a great period of time now, I am indeed one of the fortunate people who have benefited. Is it not now the time to extend this to peer teaching?
Medical undergraduates should have some learning integrated with other health professions. We should be encouraging education interaction. A great many of my medical colleagues feel some inter-subject teaching should be trialled. The obvious subject areas that would integrate well with medicine are Midwifery and Pharmacy.