Dear Sir
Near-peer teaching, where trainees of similar experience teach one another, is carried out informally in hospitals throughout the UK. Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) uniquely has a Junior Clinical Fellow (JCF) programme, a scheme which formally recruits FY1s in near-peer teaching roles. Five JCFs were competitively selected from a cohort of FY1s for the following roles: two PBL fellows, one OSCE lead, a fellow responsible for journal club/teaching seminars and one fellow responsible for bedside teaching, recruiting mentors and teaching seminars. The faculty provided logistical support and a study budget for the JCFs. These roles were negotiated with the hospital directorates. We conducted a retrospective qualitative study to assess whether the programme was successful.
A questionnaire was designed to determine whether there was greater quantity of teaching from FY1s compared to other trusts, good standards of teaching compared to senior doctors, and whether teaching was relevant to their course and learning needs. In addition, we asked the FY1 JCFs and mentors about whether the programme provided teaching opportunities, encouraged a future in teaching, developed teaching skills and consolidated learning.
The following percentages of students (n = 15) agreed or strongly agreed with the statements in the following categories: teaching quantity; 87%, content; 93%, relevance; 100%, needs; 100%. Teachers (n = 11) agreed or strongly agreed: teaching opportunities; 91%, enhancement of skills; 100%, consolidation; 100%, further teaching; 100%. The semi-structured interviews were predominantly positive; one student stated: “Being taught by F1s was better than being taught by registrars/consultants. The junior doctors know exactly where we are in our clinical knowledge and the distinction between what you need to know on the ward and what you need to know for the exam”. We also identified key problems: obtaining relevant feedback, demonstrating evidence of teaching activity and personal development as a teacher. The solution devised by us was to design a teaching logbook; it will enable educators to design lesson plans, log teaching activities and promote reflection.
The study demonstrates that this programme facilitates valuable and relevant near-peer teaching for medical students, whilst providing opportunities and educational benefits for FY1s. It is a mutually beneficial scheme for all involved, but perhaps most importantly, may provide a platform for junior doctors wishing to pursue a future career in medical education.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.