Theme
International Medical Education
Category
General
INSTITUTION
Cardiff University
The majority of students who participated in the PAL sessions at HMU felt that this method of teaching enabled them to gain new skills the current medical curriculum does not offer.
Over 90% of PAL tutors agreed that after the PAL sessions, they felt more confident in their role as a teacher and gained new competencies. Similarly, the tutees felt more confident to ask questions and received valuable constructive feedback on their performance.
Peer-assisted learning helps to bridge the gap between students from different cohorts and gives students the opportunity to network and share their learning experiences with other students on an international scale (demonstrated by the Cardiff University/HMU facebook group).
E-learning modules developed in Cardiff University regarding clinical skills teaching were also shared with HMU. These e-learning modules were utilised by the students before the PAL sessions to help them make the most of the clinical skills workshop and to aid the blended-learning strategy.
The aim of the partnership was to use peer-assisted learning as a catalyst for educational change in Iraq.
Through friendship and collaborative work between institutions, the concept of peer-assisted learning can be used to modernise medical education around the world.
The main aims of the project were:
- To share developmental ideas for clinical skills teaching between Cardiff University and HMU
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To promote peer-assisted learning and train final year medical students to become PAL leaders to facilitate the teaching of clinical skills
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To assist HMU in developing a new model of student centred learning
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To share lesson plans, learning outcomes and documentation
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To share e-learning modules and videos developed in Cardiff University with HMU to aid the teaching of clinical skills
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To set up a state-of-the-art clinical skills facility at HMU with the help of funding from the DelPHE-Iraq project
We would like to thank the British Council and DelPHE for financing this initiative and for senior staff and students at both Cardiff University and Hawler Medical University for their encouragement and support.
We would also like to thank the Student Iraqi Medical Association - Wales, a Cardiff University medical school society, for promoting peer-assisted learning successfully in Cardiff University and donating their fundraised money towards the link between Cardiff University and HMU to help purchase an ECG machine for the new clinical skills lab in Iraq.
Peer-assisted learning is an innovative and effecive method of enhancing the student experience and lessening the burden on medical schools. It is a mutually beneficial scheme that we found works well in different environments.
Both Cardiff university and HMU have incorporated PAL into their medical curriculum to facilitate the teaching of clinical skills as a result of this successful collaboration. From the funding received for this project, we have also helped HMU develop a state-of-the-art clinical skills lab.
We also gained a valuable insight into the problems faced by teachers at HMU, and the wider challenges of delivering healthcare in Iraq.