A Pilot Anatomy-based Teacher Training Curriculum for Medical Students

BACKGROUND: Numerous medical education training programs are currently implemented internationally to train residents and future academic physicians for teaching duties, many of which use peer-teaching in anatomy as a major component. The length of these programs and the degree to which they provide both teaching practice and generalized training in medical educational competencies varies widely. Conversely, teacher training programs aimed at anatomy graduate students have a robust balance of in-class practice and out-of-class professional development but take place over a longer timescale. With unscheduled curricular time at a premium in most medical programs, developing comprehensive training courses that can be administered over an accelerated timescale and provide generalizable professional skills in medical education is essential. INTERVENTION: In summer of 2021 I implemented a 6-week pilot program for developing practical teaching and medical education skills in undergraduate medical students. The program consisted of an in-class component where students performed daily peer teaching in a summer graduate-level anatomy course and out-of-class professional development including training on educational methods, peer evaluations of student-made materials, and reflective exercises. ASSESSMENT: 5 students were enrolled in the pilot program, 3 of which completed a 1-5 Likert Scale, IRB-approved survey after completion. The 22-question survey measured pre-and-post program perceived confidence in 4 skill categories: anatomy knowledge (4 questions), teaching and assessment (5 questions), communication (9 questions), and educational research and innovation (4 questions). Although current survey sample lacks enough statistical power for formal nonparametric tests, initial student responses indicate improved self-reported confidence in all 4 areas. Educational research and innovation showed the highest average increase (+2.4), followed by teaching and assessment (+2) anatomy knowledge (+1.58) and communication (+1.47). SIGNIFICANCE & CONCLUSION: With the caveat that limited data are available, students' perceived confidence increased in all skill areas following participation in the training program. Additional longitudinal follow up will be needed to further determine the utility derived from the course pre-and-post residency. If successful, this course may serve as a model for both medical student and anatomical educator training courses that can be deployed on shorter timescales. © FASEB.