Working Together: Interactive Interprofessional Learning in the Classroom

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Interprofessional learning (IPL) in medical education is a key method for optimized instruction. Few modalities exist that enable the professor to teach clinical content while infusing interprofessional and interpersonal dynamics into the classroom. Here we describe a novel multidisciplinary interactive case study that positively influences health profession student attitudes regarding teamwork, professional identity, mutual respect, and self-assessed clinical reasoning, while also concurrently facilitating instruction of clinical content in a meaningfully interactive manner. Overall, it provides an inexpensive, flexible, and interactive model for efficacious teaching and learning in the health profession classroom. Methods Participants consist of preclinical second-year-MD-equivalent students. Participants sit in self-selected teams of 10 with two students each from various fields (e.g., audiology, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy) in a large lecture hall. The case study contains four clinically related rounds. For each round the team reads a case vignette. Students with applicable expertise relevant to the vignette share how to manage an aspect of the vignette. This is followed by a team discussions before the team moves to the next round. Results The described case study has successfully been implemented for 3 years. Preliminary data from the first 2 years demonstrate that the case study positively influences health profession student attitudes towards teamwork, professional identity, mutual respect, and self-assessed clinical reasoning, while also concurrently facilitating instruction of clinical content in a meaningfully interactive manner. Discussion Students and professors at our institution were interested in achieving two concurrent goals: (1) engage students in practical interactive clinical learning that takes them out of the run-of-the-mill lecture hall while not sacrificing clinical content, and (2) facilitate a forum for IPL, and in doing so, engender respect for and knowledge of the role of fellow health colleagues and make clear the necessity and benefits of IPL. We believe this is a highly useful tool for clinician educators, as it adds a novel modality for classroom instruction and allows for the inclusion of IPL.

Keywords

• Teamwork
• Interactive
• TBL
• Team-based Learning
• Multidisciplinary