Twelve tips for implementation of “student-as-teacher” programs

Abstract

Much has been written about the learning benefits of peer teaching for medical trainees. What remains less certain is how practically to implement “Student-as-teacher” (SaT) programs combining teacher-skills training with hands-on teaching experiences for medical students to prepare them for their roles as teachers in residency and beyond. In this article, we address this gap by outlining twelve tips for the implementation of SaT programs based on review of the literature and our experience implementing SaT curricula at our institution. We have organized the tips into three domains (i.e. preimplementation, implementation and postimplementation) to encourage SaT coordinators to iteratively consider how to continually enhance SaT programs before, during and after their implementation.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank faculty and students involved in the Harvard Medical School first-year Homeostasis course.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Taylor Freret, EdM, is a MD candidate at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Jasmine Rana is a MD-MMSc Medical Education candidate at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Richard Schwartzstein, MD, is the Ellen and Melvin Gordon Professor of Medicine and Medical Education and Director of the Academy at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Holly Gooding, MD, MSc, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Faculty Advisor for the Medical Education Student Interest Group at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.