Reciprocal peer teaching by medical students in the gross anatomy laboratory.

The use of reciprocal peer teaching (RPT) was evaluated by 66 first-year medical students participating in gross anatomy laboratory sessions at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Health Sciences. In RPT each student in turn served as a teacher of his peers. The students compared RPT with staff teaching, and almost all reported that they acquired as much knowledge of topics taught by their peers and greater knowledge of topics that they taught personally than they acquired from staff teaching. In addition, most students reported improved study habits, better attitudes toward anatomy, and more independent study. A majority of the students felt they would be better able to communicate with patients and felt more like students of medicine than before participating in RPT. The authors concluded that the active involvement of students in teaching will help prepare students to be continual and independent self-learners throughout their professional careers.