Abstract
Introduction: The primary objectives of this study were to implement a novel near-peer-facilitated case-based medical ethics curriculum intended for the audience of a large cohort of first-year medical students (n = 193) and to objectively evaluate the immediate efficacy of the curriculum based on pre- and post-session survey responses to ethical quandaries. Methods: Two near-peer-facilitated medical ethics case discussion sessions were included in the first-year curriculum during the 2017–2018 academic year. The sessions were designed and led by second-year medical student facilitators under the direction of a faculty mentor and were presented as a year-long curricular thread. First-year students were asked to complete pre- and post-session surveys with ethical questions relevant to each case and session. Students were additionally asked to measure the contribution of discussion sessions to their development as a future physician. Results: Post-session survey results showed that students had a better understanding of specific ethical issues immediately following discussion sessions (p<0.0001). Over three-quarters of students indicated that the near-peer-led medical ethics case discussions contributed somewhat or very much to their development as a future physician. Anecdotal feedback from second-year medical students also suggested that their involvement as facilitators was beneficial to their educational development. Conclusion: Near-peer-facilitated case discussions were an effective strategy for teaching medical ethics to first-year medical students with demonstrated objective improvements in ethical decision-making. Additionally, near-peer discussions of ethical cases and principles with first-year medical students aided in subjective measures of professional development.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 219-225 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Medical Science Educator |
Volume | 30 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1 2020 |
Keywords
- Medical ethics education, Bioethics, Medical school curriculum, Near-peer learning, Case-based learning, Student satisfaction
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Education