Efficacy of Peer-Assisted Learning Across Residencies for Procedural Training in Dermatology

BACKGROUND: With new care models such as the medical home, there is an expanding need for primary care providers to be trained in dermatologic procedures. Yet, many internal medicine residency program graduates feel unprepared to perform these procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a structured peer-assisted learning approach to improve residents' knowledge and skills related to common dermatologic assessment techniques.\n\nMETHODS: Eight medicine-dermatology resident educators, with a faculty member, facilitated dermatologic procedure workshops for 28 internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics resident learners. Learners completed preworkshop and postworkshop surveys, assessing their knowledge and skill levels as well as the efficacy of the resident educators and the educational value of the workshop as a whole.\n\nRESULTS: All learners were able to properly demonstrate the techniques at the workshop's conclusion. The median sum score of self-reported knowledge increased from 3 to 9.5 (scale, 0-10; P