PURPOSE
Early integration of clinical cases in anatomy can enhance relevance,
engagement, and long-term retention. To extend these benefits within a course
already containing substantial clinical content, our program introduced
short, sequential, near-peer–led case presentations designed to connect
anatomical concepts with clinical application. This study evaluated their
educational impact. Specific goals were to determine whether these sessions
improved understanding, supported student preparation, and promoted equitable
participation across main and regional campuses. An additional aim was to
provide professional development opportunities for near-peer instructors
through the creation and delivery of brief interactive presentations.
METHODS
Seven third- and fourth-year medical students served as near-peer
instructors in a first-year clinical anatomy course (n = 176). Each
instructor delivered an opening clinical case at the start of the week and a
closing summary near the end, both aligned with weekly course topics. Student
perceptions were collected through a voluntary, anonymous online
questionnaire consisting of 16 Likert-scale items and two optional open-ended
prompts. Quantitative data were summarized descriptively, and qualitative
comments were analyzed using inductive coding.
RESULTS
Survey response rates were 72% (111/155) at the main campus and 43% (9/21)
at the regional campus. Students rated improvement in their ability to apply
anatomical knowledge to clinical problems as 4.54 ± 0.63 on a five-point
scale and agreed that paired opening and closing sessions helped consolidate
learning (4.47 ± 0.74). Qualitative feedback highlighted the value of
aligning case content with concurrent dissection activities.
CONCLUSIONS
Brief, near-peer–led clinical case presentations were well received and
enhanced students’ perceived clinical relevance of anatomy. Even within a
curriculum already rich in clinical integration, this approach supported
peer-assisted learning and offered a scalable model for distributed campuses.
Future refinements should focus on optimizing timing, topic alignment, and
equitable engagement across sites.