Resource Center

Reflection in medical education is becoming more widespread. Drawing on our Jesuit Catholic heritage, the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine incorporates reflection in its formal curriculum and co–curricular programs. The aim of this type of reflection is to help students in their formation as they learn to step back and analyze their experiences in medical education and their impact on the student.

The profession of pharmacy has evolved gradually for more than a century and has seen many educational challenges and reforms. The pharmacy curriculum is science-based and varies widely in different parts of the world in both content and outcomes. The global pharmacy curriculum could be broadly categorized as product/industry-focused or patient-focused. In the United States (US), the baccalaureate degree has been replaced with the entry level Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum.

Interprofessional education (IPE) has been a topic of national and international discussion for several decades. The recent development of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies prompted the American Council on Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) to consider ways the physical therapy profession could become more involved.

In 2003, we led a working conference on leadership in ethics education for physical therapy and occupational therapy entitled, "Dreamcatchers and the Common Good: Allied Health Leadership in Generational Health and Ethics."

Although there is evidence to support implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in the health sciences, widespread implementation in health professions education is not yet a reality. Challenges include the diversity in location and settings of schools and colleges, i.e., many are not located within an academic health center.

Wellness in youth sets the stage for health later in life. Chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes and sports injuries such as concussion require an interprofessional approach. In schools where nurses and athletic trainers are both present, many times they act independently. Despite having a common primary care mission and complementary training, they use separate facilities, supplies and medical records. New school-based initiatives exist, but have not included athletic trainers.

Evidence suggests that teamwork is essential for safe, reliable practice. Creating health care teams able to function effectively in patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), practices that organize care around the patient and demonstrate achievement of defined quality care standards, remains challenging. Preparing trainees for practice in interprofessional teams is particularly challenging in academic health centers where health professions curricula are largely siloed.

A problem-based learning (PBL) framework was utilized in a series of six interprofessional team seminars (IPTS) for postbaccalaureate students from seven health professions. The goal of IPTS was to develop a collaborative practice-ready workforce prepared to respond to patient care needs through use of concrete examples, skills development, critical thinking, and problem solving in safe, faculty-facilitated small groups. The collaborative nature of PBL closely correlates with teaching methodologies of the IPTS series.

Since 1999, the United States (U.S.) healthcare delivery system has been transforming in profound and fundamental ways. 

As U.S. healthcare leaders responded and led transformation, recognition grew that the graduates of health professions schools may be technically competent but are not ready to practice in today’s evolving health system. Therefore, many healthcare leaders and educators are calling for “new” models of education: interprofessional education (IPE) linked to collaborative practice and team-based care.