ZotUnity Academics is a peer-based learning program facilitated by dedicated upper-class students who provide learning strategies and guidance to facilitate the transition to medical school learning for their peers. The program supports long-term learning techniques, clinical correlations, and exam preparation, and promotes excellence in education through the training and development of student MS2-MS4 facilitators.

The ZotUnity Academics program for MS1s was launched in 2020. We currently serve MS1s to MS4s.

Participation

97% of MS1s actively take part in the ZotUnity Academics program.

MSATs

ZotUnity Academics is supervised and guided by MS2-MS4 student teachers.

Satisfaction

Feedback collected every two months shows that our students find ZotUnity Academics sessions valuable and that they enhance their learning.

Outcome

Results indicated an improved understanding of medical concepts, increased learning quality, stronger relationships and the creation of compensated leadership opportunities for MS.

Hired MSATs will participate in the following:

  • Initial training and orientation in best practices in teaching and tutoring  
  • Ongoing monthly professional development  
  • Peer observations of optimal teaching practices 
  • Data collection of student satisfaction and program refinement
  • Research and publication of program outcomes
UC Irvine Medical Education Building

My ZotUnity Academics program tutors were amazing and devoted their time to answering our questions and motivating us. I truly enjoyed my experience with the program and would consider doing it again.

-UCI Medical Student

My tutors were amazing and helped conceptualize the material in a way that was clinically relevant.

-UCI Medical Student

I repeatedly learned more from these tutors in a few hours than I did the rest of the block. They're great teachers because they understand their students and set reasonable learning objectives.

-UCI Medical Student