Purpose
Near-peer teaching has been shown to be an invaluable educational practice in undergraduate medical education programs. Supported by the cognitive congruency theory, near-peer teachers possess a deeper grasp of the scope of knowledge compared to their junior student counterparts. This enables them to effectively address problems at an appropriate level of understanding. The purpose of this presentation is to report on the initial outcomes, impact, and effectiveness of our innovative active near-peer Biochemistry education approach, as implemented in a newly established international medical school.

Methods
Biochemistry remains a notoriously difficult subject for many medical students. Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM), has established the Peer-Learning Partner program (PLP) offering student-led educational support in key foundational sciences, providing a collaborative learning environment and academic support for near-peers in the pre-clinical medical program. Near-peer Biochemistry review sessions were conducted, encompassing comprehensive content review and practice with clinically oriented vignette-style questions. To tailor the sessions to their specific needs, students were surveyed to identify areas of weakness through WhatsApp. These reviews were learner-driven and aimed to integrate material from various faculty-led sessions with the goal of a cohesive perspective on Biochemistry education rather than fragmented insights from individual lectures. 

Results
Multiple anecdotal student reports indicated that the near-peer learning sessions significantly improved pre-test-taking confidence and summative examination scores. There was a heightened willingness to seek clarification by posing questions, a behavior less commonly observed in traditional faculty-led lectures. However, notably, integration of Biochemistry content was deemed the most appreciated aspect of the PLP sessions; students reported a newfound ability to construct Biochemistry material into one cohesive image. At the same time, summative exam outcomes also improved in the PLP student teacher. 

Conclusion
We demonstrate the effectiveness of the WAUSM PLP in transforming biochemistry education through a learner-driven, integrated methodology that seamlessly combines near-peer teaching with faculty-led content, aligning with WAUSM's integrated curriculum. Students appreciated the reduced pressure during these sessions and noted the enhanced coherence of the material presented. Enthusiastically, students have expressed interest in additional near-peer Biochemistry learning opportunities for their upcoming courses. Overall, near-peer learning is an invaluable educational practice for undergraduate medical education worldwide. The enthusiastic engagement of the WAUSM PLP program students with student teacher-led sessions underscores their remarkable value, particularly in the context of a new international medical school.