Medical students as journal reviewers: a project concept to consider them peers

Background: The peer review process is widely accepted to benefit the education of health professionals. However, formal experience in peer reviewing is rare at the undergraduate level. A substantial pool of potential reviewers exists among health profession students, who are as rigorous in peer reviewing as those with more experience. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of a mentorship experience designed to teach health professions students peer review skills using experienced peer reviewers as mentors. Methods: Within the student organization section of The Network: Towards Unity for Health (SNO), student leaders hosted student-led journal clubs. Active SNO students were directly recruited and paired with experienced journal reviewers who served as their mentors. Each mentor/mentee pairing independently reviewed an article for either the journals Education for Health or Undergraduate Research in Health. They then met to discuss the results and provide feedback. Students who completed at least two reviews “graduated” from mentorship and were invited to join the pool of journal reviewers. Results: The program effectively guided students to become effective peer reviewers. Students reported several benefits to participating in the program, including feeling more confident as peer reviewers, feeling more effective at delivering constructive feedback, and experiencing personal growth, such as becoming more effective at designing their research. Discussion: A mentor/mentee peer review experience effectively produced a pool of competent peer reviewers while providing participants with several opportunities for personal growth. Ultimately, similar programs could lead to a larger community of peer reviewers and improved research literacy and capabilities among health professions students.