ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Medical school faculty members face increased clinical and academic demands, leaving less time for teaching, curriculum development, and assessment of learners. DESCRIPTION: The Keck School of Medicine has hired a dedicated medical student educator for each required clerkship. The medical student educator assists the clerkship director with clinical teaching, curriculum development, student and program evaluation, and administrative functions. EVALUATION: The program has been well received by both students and faculty. Students believe that the medical student educators add value to their clinical experiences and support both their clinical education and personal and professional development. Preliminary data suggest that student performance has improved, and additional measures of quantitative impact are under way. CONCLUSIONS: Medical student educators have been a successful addition to the program at the Keck School of Medicine. This strategy should be considered at medical schools that are experiencing resource constraints.
