Interprofessional education programs today: surveying model programs in the U.S. Introduction

The challenges associated with interprofessional education (IPE) are well known to any of us who have attempted to implement a new IPE program, course, or curriculum. A scan of the IPE literature from the past decade reveals a host of documented barriers to IPE implementation, from a lack of funding and administrative support to the inability to manipulate the rigid schedules of multiple professional degree programs. Even an attitudinal barrier, such as a lack of respect for another profession, may present a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Despite these inherent complications, however, there are a number of programs in the United States that have successfully negotiated a path to IPE. These programs have pioneered creative ways to integrate IPE into their current curricula and programs, through a process of careful interprofessional teamwork within their respective institutional systems. This e-supplement offers an intriguing glimpse into some of the most comprehensive and exceptional IPE programs that are currently underway in the United States.