Students as anatomy near-peer teachers: a double-edged sword for an ancient skill

Abstract Background A near-peer instructors (NPI) program was designed for 1st year medical students who successfully finished the Anatomy course, in order to develop their didactic ability and teaching skills, mostly for cadaver dissection. Methods Graduates of the training program were administered a voluntary survey at the end of the program, annually. Best graduates of the training program were offered a NPI position in the next academic year. They were evaluated by the first-year students, at the end of the Anatomy block. Results In a debriefing questionnaire at the end of the NPI training, on the five-point Likert scale (1 = lowest to 5 = highest), the overall rating ranged from 3.63 in 2013 to 3.71 in 2015. Learning prosection and anatomy demonstration skills scored on average from 4.30 to 4.36, respectively. The NPIs were then evaluated by first-year students at the end of the next year’s Anatomy block. On the Likert scale, the average score of NPIs ranged from 4.10 in 2014 to 4.75 in 2016, on the par with the general satisfaction score for the professional preclinical teachers during the same period (which ranged from 3.80 to 4.26). Conclusions It is suggested that students as near-peer instructors can make a valuable contribution to the teaching faculty, especially in a new medical school

Tutors Matter: The Relationship between Medical Students’ Satisfaction from Their Tutor and Their Overall Satisfaction from Clinical Rotations

Background and Aim: Medical students are required to complete a number of clinical rotations in hospital departments, affiliated with the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of a department tutor. Our experience shows that departments receiving good scores typically also receive good feedback for their tutor. Accordingly, our aim was to assess the tutor contribution to students’ overall satisfaction from clinical rotations in hospital departments across northern Israel. Methods: Here, we recorded the students’ reported satisfaction with tutors as well as the satisfaction with clinical rotations in different departments of Galilee Medical Center (GMC) in Naharia, and Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poria. The students’ reported satisfaction was assessed numerically and verbally using questionnaires over a period of three years. Results: We find that the students reported satisfaction with a clinical rotation is positively and significantly correlated with the student satisfaction with the tutor, and less with other factors such as hospital organization and department facilities, geographical distance from home, working hours, etc. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that medical schools can increase students’ satisfaction through investment in good tutors