Abstract

ISAZA RESTREPO, Andrés et al. Peer Tutors in the School of Medicine. Rev. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2006, vol.4, n.2, pp.122-135. ISSN 1692-7273.

Since 2003 the School of Medicine at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia, offers to the students a program named Peer Tutors. The program's objectives are: to generate a social interaction mechanism that favors knowledge construction side by side with advanced peers; to promote the development of ethical, moral and coexistence oriented values through an academic experience, and to generate a space to explore specific academic interests and teacher´s potential. This article presents the theoretic frame that supports the importance of social interaction in knowledge construction, as well as some indicators that allow a first appraisal of the program. Several achievements that account for the synergic value of an experience that not only fulfills the function of initiating a process of teaching formation and academic support, but that also builds a proactive attitude before learning, are highlighted.

Keywords : Medical education; constructivism; cognition; social interaction; peer tutoring; educational program.