Leveraging near-peer led reviews to support learning and reduce stress in cardiovascular physiology

In our preclerkship curriculum, Year-1 medical students (MS1) are introduced to cardiovascular (CV) physiology in Organ Systems-1 (OS1): Immune, Hematopoietic and Cardiovascular Systems. For many students integrative CV physiology is challenging. Anatomy, Embryology & Histology (AHE) and General Principles (GPX) precede OS1 and support learning with near-peer reviews led by Year-2 students in Graduate Medical Education Sciences (GMES2), who have completed AHE, GPX and OS1. Thus, in the spring 2025 iteration of OS1 we aim to 1) pilot in-person GMES2-led reviews of difficult CV physiology topics and 2) evaluate whether reviews enhance learning, increase confidence, and reduce stress regarding the CV physiology exam. To assess students’ perception of GMES2-led reviews and identify challenging CV physiology topics, we asked current MS1, MS2, GMES1 and GMES2 students to complete a survey via Google Forms. Students rated the benefits of GMES2-led reviews on a 7-point Likert scale (1: Extremely not beneficial; 7: Extremely beneficial). MS2 and GMES2 students, who had completed OS1 in spring 2024, were then asked to identify topics that were most difficult to learn in the CV physiology unit and for which more resources were needed. Based on survey data, we will offer three 1-hour GMES2-led reviews on difficult concepts and topics during the CV physiology unit of OS1 in spring 2025; pre- and post-tests will be administered on-site to assess student learning; post-tests will also assess student confidence and stress regarding the CV physiology exam on the 7-point Likert scale. Ninety-seven MS1, MS2, GMES1 and GMES2 students completed the survey, and 84.5% expressed interest in attending GMES2-led CV physiology reviews. On the 7-point Likert scale, students rated reviews as beneficial to learning in AHE and GPX (x̄ = 6.1), a good use of study time (x̄ = 6.2), and beneficial in reducing stress related to the respective unit exam (x̄ = 5.8). Thirty-two MS2 and GMES2 students, who had completed OS1 in spring 2024, identified several CV physiology topics as difficult to learn: autonomic regulation of CV function (64.3%), regulation of blood pressure during exercise vs. hemorrhage vs. dehydration (53.6%), action potentials (32.2%), cardiac cycle (28.6%) and pressure-volume loops (25.0%). Evaluation of class performance on individual questions of the spring 2024 OS1 CV physiology unit exam also indicated these topics were challenging for students. Using these survey data, a GMES2 student is currently developing review sessions that address student-selected CV physiology topics. These survey data indicate MS1 are willing to attend GMES2-led reviews that focus on challenging CV physiology topics. Furthermore, based on survey data and reported findings for efficacy of near-peer teaching in medical education, we predict attending review sessions will facilitate learning, boost confidence and reduce stress associated with the CV physiology exam. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.