Students as Teachers (SAT) and Educators: An Online Elective in Medical Education
Akhil Bansal, Kirsten I. Black, Jane Bleasel, Annette W. BurgessABSTRACT
Background
Medical student electives play an important role in both personal and professional development. The need for medical students to have early exposure to teacher training skills has also been recognised. The Sydney Medical School elective in medical education was designed and implemented in 2021 in response to growing student interest in acquiring professional skills in teaching, as well as the global mobility restrictions at the time. We sought to explore students' perception of their experience.
Approach
The 4‐week elective was designed based on the successful ‘Peer Teacher Training’ programme for health professional students. Delivered online to 49/250 (20%) final year medical students, the programme consisted of 13 e‐learning modules with required asynchronous and synchronous activities and formative assessment.
Evaluation
We collected qualitative data from 34 participants (69%) using a postcourse questionnaire. Students valued learning about educational theory with opportunities to practice teaching and feedback with their peers. The elective was found to enhance participants' confidence in teaching. Although students valued the flexibility afforded by online delivery, some expressed a preference for the inclusion of in‐person learning activities.
Implications
The medical education elective provided students with dedicated time to develop knowledge and skills in clinical teaching and fostered engagement and interest in teaching activities. Such electives present a valuable alternative for students and may offer an initial entry point into the clinician educator pipeline.