Peer-assisted skills learning in structured undergraduate medical curriculum: An experiential perspective of tutors and tutees

Abstract

Background and Aims: This study aims to evaluate the implication of peer-assisted learning model adopted in students' clinical skills training from the perspective of tutees and tutors at the end of a peer-tutored clinical skills program and peer tutors themselves. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag in between January and March 2018. Following the clinical skills training, a questionnaire designed to assess the views of tutees and peer tutors was filled out on a voluntary basis by 159 tutees and 43 tutors. The statistical analysis of the collected and processed data was analyzed by using IBM SPSS 23.0 statistical program. The statistical significance level was maintained as alpha = 0.05. Results: According to the Likert scale, satisfaction with the tutors and the educational environment was high in general. The 2nd term tutees provided more negative feedback compared to other terms. Among all the terms, the most positive answers were provided by the 3rd term students. Although the tutors found themselves fully skilled in communication with colleagues, there were striking differences between the tutors in the 5th and 6th terms of providing a good role model for pre-clinical terms students. Conclusion: Considering peer assisted learning (PAL)'s positive responses from this study, the adoption of PAL has been started to be used as a supplementary teaching method for the clinical skills training at the Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University. PAL is considered a successful education model since it is cost-efficient for undergraduate medical training and improves the professional skills of both teacher and learner students. It can be availed of as an alternative method in medical faculties where especially the number of academic members is insufficient.