The hidden curriculum of peer teaching in developing a professional identity: Perspectives of medical students and junior doctors

Abstract

Introduction: Peer teaching has been utilised in the field of medical education to support learning of the curriculum in both pre-clinical and clinical contexts. The literature has shown that there is a hidden curriculum unique to peer teaching, but little is known about this from the peer learner perspective. This study explored the hidden curriculum of peer teaching and from the perspective of medical students and junior doctors. Methods: Data was collected via one-on-one interviews with 10 participants including junior doctors and medical students (n = 10). The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Results: Five themes were identified in relation to the hidden curriculum of peer teaching—specifically, learning how to be a professional; be a better learner; to care for self and others; to navigate career pathways; and to become a future teacher. Conclusion: Peer teaching is a powerful resource for professional identity development in medicine and can be better leveraged to deliver on this potential.