Implementing a Near-peer Advising Program During the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Improves Students’ Experience
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Near-peer advising (NPA) is an effective intervention to address gaps in medical education by pairing advisees with advisors of similar social, educational, and professional levels. METHODS: We implemented an NPA program within a core obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) clerkship. The near-peer advisor's role was to lead orientation sessions, send clerkship resources, provide mid- and end-clerkship in-person check-ins, and serve as a feedback liaison between students and clerkship leadership. A postclerkship survey explored how the NPA program impacted clerkship students' learning and experience including setting up for clinical success, implementing feedback, developing an organizational system, providing study resources, navigating interpersonal relationships, and understanding clerkship logistics. Descriptive statistics were reported and qualitative themes were identified using content analysis. RESULTS: At the three clerkship sites there were 179 students who completed the OBGYN clerkship between February 2022 and March 2023. Of those, 36 (20.1%) completed the postsurvey and 22 (61.1%) of clerkship students reported the NPA program had a positive impact on their clerkship experience. The program helped students perform successfully in clinical settings (n = 18, 54.5%), implement feedback (n = 9, 27.3%), develop an organizational system for studying (n = 13, 39.4%), access study resources (n = 19, 57.6%), navigate interpersonal relationships (n = 7, 21.2%) and understand clerkship logistics (n = 14, 42.4%). Qualitative themes included clearer orientation, improved studying preparedness, and providing safety-net resources. CONCLUSION: The majority of clerkship students found NPAs a useful resource to assist them in effectively participating in the OBGYN clerkship, developing an organizational system of learning, and navigating team dynamics. NPA interventions are a feasible, effective, and accessible method to improve student experience in the core OBGYN clerkship.
Institutions: University of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Columbia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W4409168345