Purpose
This presentation describes the best practices and lessons learned in the design and implementation of a credit-bearing teaching assistant training (TA) program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVA-SOM) whereby senior medical students assist teaching faculty and medical students in the pre-clinical classrooms and laboratories.

Methods
This TA training program was developed utilizing a backwards course design and was first piloted in 2017. Each training includes the opportunity for students to develop their teaching philosophy, practice skills-based teaching, participate in microteaching with peer and faculty feedback, write and review multiple choice questions, and create and produce pre-recorded lectures. This TA training highlights the use of educational technology in the classroom including AI, provides practice opportunities for skill development, and reinforces the use of technology to support the development of pedagogical content knowledge.

Results
A formal application and competitive approval process, followed by TA training workshops, and a student-originated written proposal, are required prerequisites prior to enrolling in a for-elective-credit TA M4 experience. This formal process has improved the consistency of the TA experience for TAs, pre-clinical students and faculty. To date, 266 third and fourth-year medical students have completed this training program, with 173 serving as teaching assistants. We have altered workshop content and format over time to best meet the needs of students and faculty, as well as to incorporate technological advances in education, such as leveraging AI.

Conclusions
This program has led to improved quality of educational materials and learner satisfaction, provided valued support to teaching faculty and, most importantly, started training our future physician educators by mentoring students and providing a thoughtfully designed and implemented teacher-training experience.