Exploring physical therapy students’ experience of peer learning in a student-run clinic

BACKGROUND: Participation in a student-run pro bono clinic (SRPBC) provides opportunities for students to develop professional skills, engage with the community, and provide an often-underserved population with needed care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paper describes the results of a mixed-method analysis of student experiences in an SRPBC. A survey with both Likert-type and write-in elements was administered to three cohorts of students enrolled in a doctoral program of physical therapy. Students were prompted to provide their perspective on the value of the clinic experience with respect to professional development, academic relevancy, and personal growth. RESULTS: The analysis discovered that perspective value of the clinic in the areas of personal growth and academic relevancy differed by cohort. Specifically, 1(st)-year students reported that they benefitted immensely by learning from their peers, especially in the use of outcome measures. Second-year students did not report the same benefits. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that even though students from different cohorts work together in the same clinic, they may experience the clinic very differently. This observation provided the basis for changes to the SRPBC to enhance leadership and conflict management skills of the 2(nd)-year students.