Medical Student Educators Expand Clinical Reasoning Teaching at One U.S. School

A private, not-for-profit U.S. medical school developed the Associate Course Educator (ACE) role to expand teaching capacity in its longitudinal clinical reasoning course. Senior medical students who had completed core clerkships served 12-month terms, with optional renewal. With mentorship and training in clinical reasoning pedagogy, they taught at least 20 hours annually, led educational projects, contributed to scholarship, and supported curriculum review.

Across six recruitment cycles from 2020 to 2026, 84 students applied and 44 were selected (52.4%). Annual clinical reasoning sessions increased from eight to 22, with a shift from large-group teaching toward predominantly small-group and one-to-one formats. ACEs also contributed educational innovations and presented scholarship at regional and national venues.

The authors report that the role formalized peer-assisted learning and enabled more instructor-intensive teaching and feedback. The report describes implementation at one institution; the supplied text does not provide comparative learner outcomes or evidence that the program improved students’ clinical reasoning or diagnostic performance.