PEER TUTORING PROGRAM IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

Denise D. Gibson* and Norma Burns, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH  45267 U.S.A.

Purpose

Students with academic difficulty have historically been recommended for tutoring yet tutoring can assist all students.  With the current emphasizes on adult learning, fewer hours in didactic lectures and a collegial learning environment, peer instruction is becoming an essential part of undergraduate medical education. This study sought to examine peer tutoring in one medical school.  

Methods

Tutoring reports from the Office of Academic Support about an established peer tutoring program for first and second year medical students were analyzed over the past three academic years. 

Results

First and second year medical students access peer-to-peer instruction at an extremely high rate – as many as ninety-eight percent of first year students and sixty-five percent of second year students accessed tutoring. Group tutoring hours increased by 29% for first year students and more than doubled for second year students; individual tutoring hours remained stable for first year students while they increased for second year students.  September, October, January and March had the highest number of total tutoring hours for first and second year students. Tutors are principally second year medical students yet a significant amount of tutoring is done by MD/PhD students.

Conclusions and Future Direction

Peer tutoring is a valuable resource in medical education as it encourages students to take responsibility for their education. Tutoring programs need monetary and staff resources, peer training, easy access and assignment, routine monitoring and evaluation.  In the future, medical students, peer tutors and faculty within the formal curriculum will evaluate current tutoring practices.