Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background: Leadership development and near-peer mentorship are increasingly emphasized in undergraduate medical education, yet there are few publications about programs that formally integrate these activities into senior medical student leadership roles. The Pediatric Medical Student Liaison (PMSL) role has been adopted at multiple institutions to support pediatric education, mentorship, and clerkship activities, but its structure and perceived value have not been systematically examined. This study aimed to characterize the PMSL role by exploring selection processes, responsibilities, and perceived advantages and disadvantages across institutions from the perspectives of faculty, current PMSLs, and former PMSLs.
Methods: Six focus groups (FG) were conducted with clerkship faculty, former and current PMSLs. Participants were recruited from the Council on Medical Student Education for Pediatrics (COMSEP) listserv and discussion boards. We conducted virtual semi-structured FGs that were role homogenous amongst participants. FGs were AI transcribed with author verification, and data were summarized using content analysis. Open coding was used to identify and label prevalent concepts.
Results: FG participants reviewed role delineation, selection processes, and benefits across the clerkship. FGs identified clerkship assistance, medical education and near-peer mentorship as the primary roles for PMSLs. There was a range of selection processes utilized; most using formal applications. Benefits across all participants included leadership and education exposure and improving mentorship skills. Program leadership also reported positive outcomes to having a PMSL including academic project support and clerkship assistance. The primary disadvantage was time commitment for the PMSL and the dependence on student engagement for faculty.
Conclusion: PMSLs can be a valuable resource to enrich medical education. The PMSL role offers opportunities for personal and professional growth while supporting undergraduate pediatric medical education. It also allows students a glimpse into academic medicine, which can foster development into physician educators while positively shaping learning environments and enriching medical education. Overall, these findings provide a foundation for further evaluation of the educational and behavioral outcomes from PMSL programs.