Piloting Surgical Near-Peer Microlearning Sessions: Lessons Learnt from Students and Teachers

Near-peer microlearning session in surgical topics were piloted, and feedback gathered from students and teachers to advise improvement. Sessions were run fortnightly over three months. Core Surgical Trainees (CSTs) chose topics to teach Foundation Year Doctors (FYDs) and were briefed on the intention of the sessions – 15 minutes teaching with clear learning points. After the pilot, online surveys were completed by students and teachers for feedback. Students found the topics of teaching appealing, while the format was of secondary attraction. The different format was noted by 60% of students, although 60% also reported the sessions as lasting 30 minutes–1 hour. Teachers reported being well briefed, but found the format difficult to prepare for. About 66.7% reported a planned session length of 15 minutes –30 minutes. Obstacles to attendance revolved around difficulties extricating themselves from clinical duties. Students suggested regularity of sessions would help attendance, as would promoting awareness among firms. For teachers, a more structured brief could facilitate building the microlearning session. Future sessions should include knowledge tests to ascertain effectiveness of teaching.