Growing Pains: Lessons Learned From Scaling Up an mSAT Programme

Abstract

Background

Medical Students as Teachers (mSAT) programmes are valuable for developing teaching skills among senior medical student teachers. As these programmes grow in scale, logistical and instructional challenges can arise. At Wayne State University School of Medicine, an mSAT programme expanded from a small elective to a compulsory course for all fourth-year medical student teachers (M4s).

Approach

The expanded mSAT programme involved 292 fourth-year medical students (M4s) from April 2021 to April 2022. Student teachers completed six teaching sessions in various subjects, including clinical skills and basic sciences. The curriculum included topics such as small group facilitation, feedback delivery, presentation skills, and clinical reasoning.

Evaluation

The evaluation was guided by Kirkpatrick's model, focusing on the first two levels: Reactions (reactions to the course) and Learning (knowledge and skills gained). Data were collected through a 14-item questionnaire (69 respondents) and a 90-min focus group (6 participants). Student teachers valued the practical teaching experiences but noted challenges with course organisation, assignment workload and feedback quality. Though 62% rated the course as ‘good’ to ‘excellent’, suggestions for improvement included implementing structured checklists, offering specialised teaching tracks and increasing mentorship opportunities.

Implications

The expansion highlighted the importance of effective course organisation, meaningful feedback and mentorship in large-scale mSAT programmes. We plan to streamline assignments, enhance mentorship, improve communication and personalise teaching opportunities in future iterations. Our experience offers insights for other institutions aiming to scale mSAT programmes effectively while maintaining educational quality.