Impact of Peer Relationships on the Learning Environment: Is there Room for Improvement?
Cary Cuncic, MD, FRCP(C), FACP, MSc, MMed
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Fraser Medical Program
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Laura Farrell, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Associate Dean, Student Affairs
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Rita Shah, MD, CCFP, FCFP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Practice
Assistant Dean, Vancouver Fraser Medical Program
Associate, Faculty Development
Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Hybrid: IRC Room 414 & Zoom*
Zoom Details: For connection details, please email ches.communications@ubc.ca.
Abstract
It is well recognized that medical students depend on their peers for support, especially through the more challenging transition times in the curriculum such as the clerkship year or applying to residency programs. Moreover, quality of peer relationships and a sense of community within the peer group is positively correlated with how students experience their learning environment. A review of the literature has revealed a relative paucity in the field of near-peer mentorship and the impact of peer relationships in medical education.
With an increase in virtual attendance for lectures after the Covid-19 pandemic, many students feel a disconnect from their medical student community. In addition, the size of medical school classes are increasing to meet the workforce needs of the profession. At the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP), we are now enrolling 208 students per year who are randomly distributed across the Lower Mainland. The relationships they develop are not as strong as those attained by their counterparts at the smaller distributed sites. To help address this, beginning in August 2025, VFMP students will be admitted directly into one of three geographically based learning cohorts.
We will present the current state of peer relationships at VFMP and offer potential interventions to further support them to promote a positive learning experience.
Biography
Cary Cuncic is a clinical associate professor in the department of Medicine and the Regional Associate Dean of the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP). She teaches at all levels but most commonly at the third year clerkship level in ambulatory general internal medicine. She is a graduate of the CHES clinical educator fellowship and received her Masters in Medical Education from the University of Dundee. She is interested in exploring how the implementation of Learning Cohorts can foster a sense of community for students.
Laura Farrell is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Medicine and the Associate Dean, Student Affairs for the MD Undergraduate Program at UBC. She works as a General Internist in Victoria, BC. She received her master’s in medical education from the University of Dundee with her thesis focused on Goal Oriented feedback. She is interested in exploring how the implementation of Learning Cohorts support student wellbeing and sense of belonging through connection to community.
Rita Shah is a clinical assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine and the Assistant Dean of the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP). She works at a community health clinic in Vancouver where she teaches family practice residents. She received her Masters in Health Science Education from McMaster University and is interested in near-peer relationships and mentorship and its impact on the learning experience for medical students.
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 15 Mainpro+® credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity. CFPC Session ID:203168-001
RCPSC ACCREDITATION: The CHES Cutting Edge Speaker Series is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.