This Ignite Presentation explores the effectiveness of a near-peer program on medical students' teaching skills, master adaptive learning, and professional identity formation. Join us as we share insights, discuss the program’s potential, and invite audience feedback to enhance this innovative approach to medical students-as-teachers (mSAT) programming.

Narrative: Our presentation will begin with an introduction to the near-peer program, which pairs medical students with more experienced peers to facilitate their teaching skills development, master adaptive learning, and foster professional identity development.

Next, we will dive into the program's design, focusing on the mentorship aspects, teaching strategies, and assessment methods. We will share the initial findings from a study that evaluates the impact of the near-peer program on participants' skills and attitudes, highlighting both successes and areas for improvement. We will discuss the importance of creating a feedback loop that promotes active engagement and meaningful connections between near-peer tutors, tutees, and faculty. This feedback loop will ensure that all parties are benefiting from the near-peer program, leading to improved teaching competencies and professional growth.

As we wrap up our presentation, we will explore strategies for refining the program to enhance its overall effectiveness and discuss ways to facilitate its transition into a micro-credentialing pathway. Our goal is to engage the audience in a conversation about innovative approaches to medical students-as-teachers programming, and we will specifically seek feedback on the following aspects:

1. Potential improvements to the program's design and implementation.
2. Efficient assessment techniques for evaluating students' teaching abilities, adaptive learning, and professional identity growth.
3. Strategies for establishing a near-peer micro-credentialing pathway in medical education.

We believe that near-peer programs have the potential to transform medical education, and we look forward to sparking a conversation that will ignite further exploration of this exciting concept.