Location
Moultrie, GA
Start Date
7-5-2025 1:00 PM
End Date
7-5-2025 4:00 PM
Description
INTRODUCTION: First-year medical students face many challenges as they begin their educational journey. Programs like the E.A.S.E. (Enhancing Academic Success and Efficiency) program aims to address these challenges by fostering academic confidence, peer support, and improved comprehension of didactic material. Through peer-led support sessions and academic workshops, the program helps students build a solid foundation for success. Peer teaching, a core component of such initiatives, offers additional benefits, enhancing learning for both the teacher and the learner. It fosters a collaborative environment where students can share experiences and provide mutual support, ultimately improving academic performance and engagement.
OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives of the E.A.S.E. program is to assess its impact on first-year students' academic performance and resilience, as well as the support provided by fourth-year students. It also explores how participation enhances fourth-year students' teaching skills, confidence, and leadership. Secondary objectives include identifying challenges and successes in peer teaching and examining changes in first-year students' perceptions of peer support.
METHODS: The study population will include first- and fourth-year medical students enrolled at PCOM. First-year (M1) participants will be invited to participate via email. Eligible students must be incoming M1 students on any of the three campuses with no history of a leave of absence. Fourth-year (M4) students will be recruited directly by the Principal Investigator. These students must be in academic good standing and not currently in their first, second, or third year of training.
RESULTS: The study will collect quantitative data through pre- and post-surveys and exam scores, measuring academic confidence, peer support, and knowledge gains. Qualitative data from open-ended survey responses will provide insights into participants’ experiences. Experimental groups will start the E.A.S.E. program in either the first or second semester, while a control group receives standard resources. Data will be analyzed using statistical tests and thematic analysis to evaluate the program’s impact.
CONCLUSION: By providing structured peer mentorship, we expect to see improved study habits, lower anxiety levels, and greater confidence in academic performance among participants. We also anticipate that involving fourth-year medical students as mentors will not only help the first-years but will also enhance the leadership and teaching skills of the mentors themselves.
Embargo Period
6-4-2025
Included in
Enhancing Academic Success and Efficiency (E.A.S.E.) Program at PCOM South Georgia
Moultrie, GA
INTRODUCTION: First-year medical students face many challenges as they begin their educational journey. Programs like the E.A.S.E. (Enhancing Academic Success and Efficiency) program aims to address these challenges by fostering academic confidence, peer support, and improved comprehension of didactic material. Through peer-led support sessions and academic workshops, the program helps students build a solid foundation for success. Peer teaching, a core component of such initiatives, offers additional benefits, enhancing learning for both the teacher and the learner. It fosters a collaborative environment where students can share experiences and provide mutual support, ultimately improving academic performance and engagement.
OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives of the E.A.S.E. program is to assess its impact on first-year students' academic performance and resilience, as well as the support provided by fourth-year students. It also explores how participation enhances fourth-year students' teaching skills, confidence, and leadership. Secondary objectives include identifying challenges and successes in peer teaching and examining changes in first-year students' perceptions of peer support.
METHODS: The study population will include first- and fourth-year medical students enrolled at PCOM. First-year (M1) participants will be invited to participate via email. Eligible students must be incoming M1 students on any of the three campuses with no history of a leave of absence. Fourth-year (M4) students will be recruited directly by the Principal Investigator. These students must be in academic good standing and not currently in their first, second, or third year of training.
RESULTS: The study will collect quantitative data through pre- and post-surveys and exam scores, measuring academic confidence, peer support, and knowledge gains. Qualitative data from open-ended survey responses will provide insights into participants’ experiences. Experimental groups will start the E.A.S.E. program in either the first or second semester, while a control group receives standard resources. Data will be analyzed using statistical tests and thematic analysis to evaluate the program’s impact.
CONCLUSION: By providing structured peer mentorship, we expect to see improved study habits, lower anxiety levels, and greater confidence in academic performance among participants. We also anticipate that involving fourth-year medical students as mentors will not only help the first-years but will also enhance the leadership and teaching skills of the mentors themselves.