Purpose
Peer teaching has been shown to benefit medical students’ growth as teachers, providing self-efficacy, motivation, maturity, and professional development. Current research on the impact of peer teaching demonstrates the largest foundation in procedural skills, showcasing benefits for peer teachers and learners. However, there is limited research comparing peer teaching with faculty-led instruction in clinical skills. This study aims to evaluate the impact of peer teaching specifically on clinical skills and professional development of peer teachers and peer learners.

Methods
Twenty first-year (M1) and eight second-year (M2) medical students at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCUSOM) participated in a clinical teaching workshop, where M2s taught M1s cardiovascular, pulmonary, and blood pressure exams. Pre- and post-workshop surveys assessed students' confidence in performing and teaching these skills, as well as their views on the value of peer teaching, future engagement with peer learning, and interest in academic medicine on a 5-point Likert Scale. Responses were analyzed using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.

Results
M1s showed significant increases in confidence performing pulmonary (p=0.00008), cardiovascular (p=0.00031), and blood pressure (p=0.0047) exams. However, there were no significant changes in their opinions on the value of peer-teaching or interest in academic medicine. M2s reported increased confidence in teaching the pulmonary (p=0.01788) and cardiovascular (p=0.01991) exams, but no significant changes in views on the importance of teaching for professional development or interest in academic medicine.

Conclusions
Peer-teaching significantly improved M1s' confidence in clinical skills and M2s' confidence in teaching those skills. The study's strengths include its focus on clinical skills and use of matched pairs, while its limitations include small sample size and potential bias from incomplete responses. Further research is needed to better understand the role of peer teaching in medical education.