Introduction: Peer-assisted learning is a common feature of medical education and proves to be highly effective in many areas. So far there have been no reports on on-ward tutorials held by final-year students to promote the clinical competencies of medical undergraduates. The aim of the current investigation was to both evaluate undergraduate and tutor acceptance of a peer-assisted learning programme performed by final-year students and to examine the perception of the role of final-year students within an intervention and a control group.
Method: 88 medical students (51 female, 37 male; mean age 23.6 years) were assigned to one of seven intervention wards where 10 student-led, patient-centred tutorials were held. 80 medical students (58 female, 22 male; mean age 23.3 years) were assigned to one of seven control wards. Tutorials were held by 14 volunteer final-year student tutors (8 female, 6 male; mean age 26.2 years). Acceptance of the peer-assisted learning programme and ratings of the role of final-year students were evaluated on a six-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = very good to 6 = unsatisfactory and 1 = completely agree to 6 = completely disagree).
Results: Medical undergraduates rated student-led tutorials and tutors rated the introductory course and the complete programme as extremely positive (1.14 +/- 0.36 to 2.34 +/- 1.15). The role of final-year students as role model, teacher, contact person and integrator was rated as being significantly more relevant by students in the intervention group than by those in the control group (p < 0.02 in each case).
Discussion: Patient-centred, student-led on-ward tutorials designed to promote undergraduate clinical competencies received extremely positive ratings from both medical undergraduates and tutors and enable final-year tutors to assume important roles.