A review of medical school programs that train medical students as teachers (MED-SATS).
Medical students represent medicine's future teachers. The objective of this literature review was to identify programs teaching medical students how to teach (MED-SATS). Electronic searches were conducted and identified 39 programs (1966-2005). Students have assumed varied teaching roles: group facilitator, standardized patient, tutor, teaching assistant, standardized learner, course director, and peer teacher. Most participants were 4th-year students. The teaching techniques varied: group sessions, lectures, and individual teaching. To evaluate student teaching, programs used checklists, videotape review, group discussion, observation, examination scores, course grades, self-assessment exercises, and follow-up with residency training programs. Reports on how students are trained in medical schools to be teachers are limited. Of the programs identified, it is difficult to determine which programs are ongoing. Data on MED-SATS graduates teaching skills as resident and attending teachers are lacking. These issues present some challenges for future study.