Fostering Interprofessional Education During Required Clerkships for Medical Students Across Regional Campuses

Abstract

It remains complex and challenging to deliver interprofessional education at medical schools with geographically distributed campuses. Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) expanded its interprofessional education directly into clinical training by implementing a simple exercise in required clerkships on all nine of its campuses and with various health system partners that achieves the goals of interprofessional education and in which students find value. Methods Between the academic years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, IUSM medical students on every campus and across health systems, interviewed and reflected on the role of one healthcare professional involved in the care of a patient during each required clinical rotation. They interviewed different healthcare professionals and/or healthcare professions students to gain broad exposure and perspectives. Results All IUSM students on all its campuses interacted with a variety of healthcare professionals during their 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations statewide (n=6357 encounters). Across all campuses, 88% of interactions occurred with healthcare professionals rather than healthcare professions students. Statewide, between 84% and 95% of students reported that they ‘Strongly Agreed/Agreed’ that the experience contributed to the development of their interprofessional collaboration skills and knowledge, and that they found the assignment valuable. Conclusion Our interprofessional assignment offers medical schools with multiple campuses a promising solution to the challenges of delivering high-quality, and meaningful interprofessional education. It requires minimal to no resources, ensures comparability, and helps prepare students for real-world teamwork.