TY - JOUR
T1 - Formal peer-teaching in medical school improves academic performance
T2 - The musc supplemental instructor program
AU - Wong, Jeffrey G.
AU - Waldrep, Thomas D.
AU - Smith, Thomas G.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Background: Formal systems of peer teaching are common In many advanced-degree graduate school programs but are less prevalent in medical schools. In 1997, The Medical University of South Carolina's Center for Academic Excellence created a Supplemental Instructor (SI) program in which interested upper-level medical students are hired to teach a small group of junior peers, primarily in basic science topics. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine if participation as an SI leader resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. This study examined if participation as a teacher in the SI program (SI leader) resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. Methods: Admission characteristics (grade point average [GPA], Medical College Aptitude Test score, age, year of enrollment, and gender) of all SI leaders were compiled from the academic years 1996-2001. A second cohort of students, who shared the first group's admission characteristics but who chose not to teach as SIs, was identified as a comparison control group. Outcome measures included United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores and final medical school GPA. Paired student two-tailed t-test statistics compared group means on all outcome variables0 Results: There were 199 SI leaders with non-Si students matched controls studied. There were no significant differences upon admission between the two groups; however, the SI leader group had significantly higher USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores and final medical school GPA compared to the non-Si group. Conclusions: The activity of formal peer-teaching was beneficial to the SI leaders' own academic success as measured by GPA and USMLE test scores.
AB - Background: Formal systems of peer teaching are common In many advanced-degree graduate school programs but are less prevalent in medical schools. In 1997, The Medical University of South Carolina's Center for Academic Excellence created a Supplemental Instructor (SI) program in which interested upper-level medical students are hired to teach a small group of junior peers, primarily in basic science topics. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine if participation as an SI leader resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. This study examined if participation as a teacher in the SI program (SI leader) resulted in measurable academic improvement for those students. Methods: Admission characteristics (grade point average [GPA], Medical College Aptitude Test score, age, year of enrollment, and gender) of all SI leaders were compiled from the academic years 1996-2001. A second cohort of students, who shared the first group's admission characteristics but who chose not to teach as SIs, was identified as a comparison control group. Outcome measures included United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and 2 scores and final medical school GPA. Paired student two-tailed t-test statistics compared group means on all outcome variables0 Results: There were 199 SI leaders with non-Si students matched controls studied. There were no significant differences upon admission between the two groups; however, the SI leader group had significantly higher USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores and final medical school GPA compared to the non-Si group. Conclusions: The activity of formal peer-teaching was beneficial to the SI leaders' own academic success as measured by GPA and USMLE test scores.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34447569579&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34447569579&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10401330701364551
DO - 10.1080/10401330701364551
M3 - Article
C2 - 17594215
AN - SCOPUS:34447569579
SN - 1040-1334
VL - 19
SP - 216
EP - 220
JO - Teaching and Learning in Medicine
JF - Teaching and Learning in Medicine
IS - 3
ER -