Peer Assisted Learning (PAL)
The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) program is a confidential student tutoring program to help students with their pre-clinical courses. Tutoring by trained students has been used successfully in many medical schools in the U.S. and internationally. This program is meant to supplement course materials, lectures and assistance by course directors. Students with academic difficulties often value advice from other successful students about study techniques, time management, test-taking skills and course content, since peer tutors are perceived as having relevant experience and knowledge about the curriculum. Tutors are recommended by faculty and peers for their communication skills and academic performance in pre-clinical courses. Both tutors and students receiving tutoring evaluate the experience, to assist the Office of Student Affairs in improving the program.
Through the Community Health Alliance, PAL tutoring time may count toward 12 hours of the Health Education Initiative for the Community Health Alliance I elective for participating tutors. To receive this credit, tutors would need to fulfill all other criteria for this course in order to receive fourth year elective credit, and would need to document your time spent in tutoring activities on the CHA forms in Room 100. Tutoring fellow students is a volunteer service that can be added to the tutors' MSPE (Dean's Letter) when applying for residency programs.