Perspectives of a 2nd-year medical student on ‘Students as Partners’ in higher education – What are the benefits, and how can we manage the power dynamics?

Abstract

The ‘Students as Partners’ model has been redefining the way we see student–staff relationships in Higher Education. In a world where hierarchical teaching and learning has dominated for decades, this concept has been refreshing. I have seen the benefits first-hand, having participated in a 2-week student–staff collaboration to redesign the year-one medical curriculum at the Imperial College School of Medicine. However, inherent to such partnerships can be imbalanced power dynamics, which may pose a barrier and prevent the project from achieving its potential. The sources and impacts of these power dynamics are complex and the solutions multi-faceted. In our project, these imbalances of power were mitigated because the correct steps were taken both by the educators, as well as by the organisation. We produced outputs that led to significant change in the curriculum, in the short space of 2 weeks. I attribute this largely to the careful management of power dynamics throughout. In the current milieu of COVID-19, student–staff collaboration will be a valuable source of research; mitigating the impacts of power dynamics will undoubtedly improve productivity and motivation.