Resource Center

Separate and sequential interprofessional groups of students from seven health professions participated in focus groups after an innovative and immersive interprofessional programme in rural New Zealand. All participating students had prior exposure during their respective degrees to theoretical perspectives of indigenous health. Analysis revealed that for these groups of students the real-life exposure to an indigenous community was positively regarded and, in some instances, transformative. The students also reported that the ‘lived’ experience in an indigenous community built upon and in many cases extended prior learning of indigenous health. Whilst the results are encouraging, it is clear that a key challenge is to enable more students to be exposed to this powerful learning experience.