# Development of Leadership Skills During Anatomy Small-Group Sessions in a Pre-clerkship Medical Curriculum

## TL;DR

This study shows that rotating peer facilitator roles in anatomy classes helps medical students develop leadership skills.

## Contribution

The study introduces a rotating peer facilitator role in anatomy sessions to foster leadership development.

## Key findings

- Facilitators reported significant gains in confidence for leadership skills.
- The peer facilitator role may offer valuable leadership experience for students.
- Future studies could benefit from structured training and explicit feedback.

## Abstract

There is a demand for leadership development within undergraduate medical education. This study explored a student peer facilitator role within a pre-clerkship anatomy small-group curriculum to evaluate its impact on leadership skill development. Facilitators led their group during discussions, and the role rotated between group members after each quiz. Data were collected through paired pre- and post-course surveys, post-session summary forms, and individual reflection surveys. Facilitators reported significantly gaining confidence in various leadership skills (p = 0.007). This suggests that a peer facilitator role could provide students with valuable leadership experience, and future studies could include more structured training and explicit feedback.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-025-02391-y.