Are fourth-year medical students effective teachers of the physical examination to first-year medical students?
OBJECTIVE
To determine if fourth-year medical students are as effective as faculty in teaching the physical examination to first-year medical students.


METHODS
Stratified randomization of the first-year students.


METHODS
A public medical school.


METHODS
All 100 first-year medical students in one medical school class were randomly assigned (controlling for gender) to either a faculty or a fourth-year student preceptor for the Physical Examination Module.


RESULTS
The first-year students of faculty preceptors scored no differently on the written examination than the students of the fourth-year medical student preceptors (82.8% vs 80.3%, p = .09) and no differently on a standardized patient practical examination (95.5% vs 95.4%, p = .92). Also, the first-year students rated the two groups of preceptors similarly on an evaluation form, with faculty rated higher on six items and the student preceptors rated higher on six items (all p > .10). The fourth-year student preceptors rated the experience favorably.


CONCLUSIONS
Fourth-year medical students were as successful as faculty in teaching first-year medical students the physical examination as measured by first-year student's performances on objective measures and ratings of teaching effectiveness.
Haist
S A
SA
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0284, USA.
Wilson
J F
JF
Fosson
S E
SE
Brigham
N L
NL
D000328:Adult; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D011231:Preceptorship; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching