“Rebuilding what has eroded”: a descriptive, survey-based study of near-peer instructors’ experiences in a critical pedagogy-based sociomedical course

Abstract

Purpose: Near-peer assisted learning has been deployed in numerous settings within medical education with promising results. However, there is very little experience utilizing near-peers in sociomedical or cultural competency training. We recently described a novel model for sociomedical learning based on Introduction to Medicine and Society (IMS), a critical pedagogy-based course at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (PSOM). Near-peer facilitation, by senior medical students, is central to this model. The aim of this descriptive study is to examine how facilitating within this curriculum impacts senior medical students’ self-reported attitudes toward course content, medical education, as well as self-care and medical practice.

Methods: At the conclusion of the course, near-peer facilitator attitudes were assessed in three key domains through an anonymous survey. Attitudes were rated according to a 5-point Likert scale. Data from subgroups were analyzed using standard two-tailed t-tests. Optional narrative data were also collected.

Results: Twenty six of 34 (76%) eligible facilitators completed the survey. Strong majorities of facilitators felt that their experience facilitating IMS had a favorable effect on attitudes related to course content (sociomedical issues and communication skills). A majority also endorsed favorable changes in their attitudes toward teaching and medical education. Large proportions of facilitators endorsed positive changes in a number of domains linked to trainee resilience.

Conclusions: Our descriptive data suggest that acting as a near-peer facilitator as a senior medical student within a critical pedagogy-based course could help to fill multiple important curricular gaps at the transition from medical school to residency. Moreover, we find that a sociomedical facilitation experience during this important transition may increase enthusiasm for careers in medical education and undo some of the negative impacts of clinical training during medical school.

Keywords:

• near-peer assisted learning
• sociomedical education
• cultural competency
• self-care

Acknowledgments

At the time of the work described herein, Dr. Logan was a medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine. The authors would like to acknowledge Diane Dao, Adeline Goss, Andrew Hoekzema, Lauren Kelly, Sanjiv Mehta, Michelle Munyikwa, and Uptal Sandesara for designing and implementing the course upon which this study is based. The authors also appreciate the support provided by the Academic Programs Office of the Perelman School of Medicine.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Supplementary material

Table S1 Educational responses by teaching assistant experience