The value of a peer-to-peer teaching community in medical education
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction
The Medical Education Society (MedED) at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) offers near-peer educational opportunities across all years of medical school. Near-peer education has demonstrated significant benefits in medical education. However, studies have yet to explore the value of establishing a peer-to-peer teaching community.
Methods
Medical students who participated in MedED as student-attendees or student-teachers during the academic year 2022-23 were invited to participate in a survey and follow-up interview, exploring their experiences within the Society. Survey data was collected anonymously through Qualtrics, and interviews were held on Microsoft Teams. Quantitative survey data was analysed using descriptive statistics, while interview transcripts and free-text survey responses underwent inductive thematic analysis.
Results
A total of 66 students completed the survey, with 19 (28.8%) from years 1–2 and 47 (71.2%) from years 3–6. Early-year students had higher lecture attendance rates (79%) compared to later-year students (34%), and both groups preferred online rather than in-person lectures (both > 50%). For student-attendees, benefits of participating in MedED included improving knowledge, motivation and sense of community. Among student-teachers, main motivations for teaching included helping others and developing transferrable skills.
A total of 13 participants were interviewed, including 5 who were both student-attendees and student-teachers. Three themes emerged: academic value, highlighting knowledge and skills gained through MedED; career prospects, focusing on long-term professional benefits; and sense of community and wellbeing, emphasising the positive social interactions and support networks fostered through MedED.
Conclusion
MedED provides student-led teaching initiatives that supplement the formal curriculum, enhancing student confidence and inclusivity, and fostering a sustainable community of peer-education. Beyond immediate academic values, this community has also created longer-term, personal and professional impacts on students, including broadening career aspirations. This work highlights opportunities for further development through student-staff collaborations and the role of peer communities in supporting student wellbeing.
The Medical Education Society (MedED) at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) offers near-peer educational opportunities across all years of medical school. Near-peer education has demonstrated significant benefits in medical education. However, studies have yet to explore the value of establishing a peer-to-peer teaching community.
Methods
Medical students who participated in MedED as student-attendees or student-teachers during the academic year 2022-23 were invited to participate in a survey and follow-up interview, exploring their experiences within the Society. Survey data was collected anonymously through Qualtrics, and interviews were held on Microsoft Teams. Quantitative survey data was analysed using descriptive statistics, while interview transcripts and free-text survey responses underwent inductive thematic analysis.
Results
A total of 66 students completed the survey, with 19 (28.8%) from years 1–2 and 47 (71.2%) from years 3–6. Early-year students had higher lecture attendance rates (79%) compared to later-year students (34%), and both groups preferred online rather than in-person lectures (both > 50%). For student-attendees, benefits of participating in MedED included improving knowledge, motivation and sense of community. Among student-teachers, main motivations for teaching included helping others and developing transferrable skills.
A total of 13 participants were interviewed, including 5 who were both student-attendees and student-teachers. Three themes emerged: academic value, highlighting knowledge and skills gained through MedED; career prospects, focusing on long-term professional benefits; and sense of community and wellbeing, emphasising the positive social interactions and support networks fostered through MedED.
Conclusion
MedED provides student-led teaching initiatives that supplement the formal curriculum, enhancing student confidence and inclusivity, and fostering a sustainable community of peer-education. Beyond immediate academic values, this community has also created longer-term, personal and professional impacts on students, including broadening career aspirations. This work highlights opportunities for further development through student-staff collaborations and the role of peer communities in supporting student wellbeing.
Date Issued
2026-12-01
Date Acceptance
2026-01-16
Citation
BMC Medical Education, 2026, 26 (1)
ISSN
1472-6920
Publisher
BMC
Journal / Book Title
BMC Medical Education
Volume
26
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
License URL
Identifier
10.1186/s12909-026-08642-9
Subjects
Peer-assisted learning
Near-peer learning
Medical education
Undergraduate medical education
Clinical education
Medical students
Communities of practice
Mixed methods research
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 349
Date Publish Online
2026-01-31