Purpose
Integrating basic and clinical sciences is key to developing critical reasoning and diagnostic skills, yet pre-clerkship education does not equip students for this. In our novel team-based peer learning model student facilitators break down topics, and peers adopt clinical roles to mimic healthcare collaboration. This method enhances critical thinking, knowledge application, and bridges the gap between basic science and clinical practice in international medical education.

Methods
Upper-semester students led collaborative sessions where teams created posters by taking on specific roles—team lead, pharmacologist, pathologist, biochemist, or clinician. Each role encouraged deeper exploration beyond class material (e.g., pharmacologists studied drug mechanisms, biochemists linked pathways). This approach promoted role mastery, self-discovery, and peer learning. By session’s end, each group produced a study resource for all participants. Results This team-based model promoted role learning, self-discovery, enhanced problem-solving and presentation skills. Challenges included time management and student response to constructive feedback, emphasizing the need for this learning model in the pre-clerkship setting. Future iterations may benefit from having longer sessions or refined topics.

Conclusion
Our peer facilitated role-based teamwork fosters learner autonomy and bridges basic science with clinical practice. It equips the student to deepen content mastery, enhance critical thinking, and develop professionalism. Results show improved knowledge retention for facilitators and participants, highlighting this model’s power to prepare students for clinic.