Canadian student leaders' perspective on interprofessional education: A consensus statement

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for preparing health science students for collaborative practice.
• A need exists to consolidate current understanding and identify future directions for IPE.
• Student perspectives are valuable in shaping effective educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report outcomes of an interprofessional education (IPE) consensus-building exercise.
• To gather insights from health science student leaders on the state of IPE.
• To develop a consensus statement on 'what we know,' 'what we don't know,' and 'where do we go from here' regarding IPE.

Main Methods:

• A consensus-building exercise involving 12 student leaders from diverse health science disciplines.
• Participants represented eight universities across five Canadian provinces.
• The exercise focused on identifying key aspects of IPE: current knowledge, knowledge gaps, and future strategies.

Main Results:

• A consensus statement was developed by student leaders regarding IPE.
• The statement outlines current understandings ('what we know') and existing gaps ('what we don't know') in IPE.
• The statement provides strategic directions ('where do we go from here') for enhancing IPE.

Conclusions:

• The insights generated from this student-led consensus are unique and vital.
• Adopting these findings is critical for improving future interprofessional education offerings nationwide.
• This exercise highlights the potential of student leadership in advancing health professions education.