facilitating the development of professional identity through peer assisted learning in medical education

Annette Burgess,1 Debra Nestel2 1Sydney Medical School – Central, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 2School of Rural Health/HealthPEER, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract: Peer assisted learning (PAL) is well documented in the medical education literature. In this paper, the authors explored the role of PAL in a graduate entry medical program with respect to the development of professional identity. The paper draws on several publications of PAL from one medical school, but here uses the theoretical notion of legitimate peripheral participation in a medical school community of practice to shed light on learning through participation. As medical educators, the authors were particularly interested in the development of educational expertise in medical students, and the social constructs that facilitate this academic development. Keywords: medical school, community of practice, peer assisted learning, development, educational expertise