Establishing a skills laboratory peer teaching assistant program in pharmacy education

Introduction

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are increasingly integrated into healthcare curricula, with near-peer teaching (NPT) offering collaborative benefits for both teachers and students. Student TAs can effectively reduce faculty workload challenges and better prepare students for entrustable professional activities (EPAs) within their clinical experiences.

Commentary

A TA program was established to address the shortage of assistance with one-on-one skills instruction in the first year's skills lab course series, aiming to enhance individualized training, assessments and faculty support. The TA program recruits second and third-year pharmacy students to assist in skills lab and conduct assessments.

Implications

Standardized TA training is crucial to ensure consistent feedback and minimize evaluation variability. TA programs can alleviate faculty workload, improve student learning and foster self-confidence in teaching.