The "triad" model of mentoring: Fourth year student as a lecturer in Pathology

William E. Triest M.D.* and Darshana Shah Ph.D.*, Department of Pathology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Huntington WV, 25701 U.S.A

Purpose

To enhance teaching skills of senior students and evaluate effectiveness of peer teaching in basic sciences.

Methods

JCESOM initiated an "Academic Medicine" fourth year elective during the Fall Term 2007.  This two-week elective commences with providing the Senior Students with basic theory of teaching and learning.  The second component allows the Senior Student to apply their new skills by lecturing in the basic science courses. 

A Fourth Year Student chose to teach pathology to second year medical students.  The faculty carefully mentored the student lectures during the preparatory phase.   Faculty mentor lecture notes and PowerPoint presentation were used as a resource and modified by the student lecturer based on his own learning experience

Results

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Students' comments were coded and qualitatively analyzed.  The student lecturer was viewed as a knowledgeable, effective and well organized teacher.

Conclusion/Future Directions: Senior peer mentoring stimulated student enthusiasm for learning.  An added benefit of this experience may be the impact on the fourth-year students. A structured teaching experience during the fourth year of medical school may lead to improved teaching in their future residency program.  Student-faculty communication improved, and successful elements of the student's approach will be applied to future faculty presentations.