The "Near-Peer" Approach to Teaching Musculoskeletal Physical Examination Skills Benefits Residents and Medical Students.

<bold>Background: </bold>The musculoskeletal physical examination (MSK PE) is an essential part of medical student training, and it is best taught in a hands-on, longitudinal fashion. A barrier to this approach is faculty instructor availability. "Near-peer" teaching refers to physicians-in-training teaching their junior colleagues. It is unknown whether near-peer teaching is effective in teaching this important physical examination skill.<bold>Objective: </bold>To investigate attitudes of medical students and physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residents regarding near-peer teaching in an MSK PE curriculum.<bold>Design: </bold>Qualitative, anonymous paper and online surveys.<bold>Setting: </bold>Tertiary academic center with a medical school and PM&R training program.<bold>Participants: </bold>Ninety-nine second- and third-year medical students and 13 PM&R residents in their third or fourth postgraduate year.<bold>Methods: </bold>Attitudes of second- and third-year medical students were measured immediately after their MSK PE course. Resident attitudes were measured in a single cross-sectional sample.<bold>Main Outcome Measurements: </bold>Student attitudes were assessed via a questionnaire with 5-point Likert scales and a free-text comment section. The resident questionnaire included a combination of multiple-choice questions, rankings, free-text responses, and Likert scales.<bold>Results: </bold>All 99 students completed the questionnaire. The majority of students (n = 79 [80%]) reported that resident involvement as hands-on instructors of examination skills was "very useful," and 87 (88%) indicated that resident-led small discussion groups were "very helpful" or "somewhat helpful." Fifty-seven of 99 students (58%) reported that the resident-facilitated course was "much better" than courses without resident involvement. Twelve of 13 eligible residents completed the survey, and of those, 8 found teaching "very helpful" to their MSK knowledge, and 11 became "somewhat" or "much more confident" in clinical examination skills.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Our study supports educational benefits to medical students and resident instructors in our MSK PE program. We recommend including near-peer teaching in medical student education, particularly for hands-on skills; we also recommend providing opportunities for PM&R residents to participate in formal near-peer education.<bold>Level Of Evidence: </bold>Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]