Learning by doing: the MD-PA Interprofessional Education Rural Rotation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Healthcare Training
• Rural Health Professions Education

Background:

• Significant investment in interprofessional education (IPE) for healthcare students often prioritizes classroom settings over clinical environments.
• Implementing clinical IPE faces challenges like disparate schedules and curriculum requirements among trainees.
• Rural clinical settings present unique logistical hurdles for interprofessional learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a practical model for implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in rural clinical settings.
• To address logistical challenges in integrating IPE into existing healthcare professional curricula.
• To offer a replicable strategy for institutions developing rural IPE programs.

Main Methods:

• The Combined Medical-Physician Assistant Student Rural Rotation (Med-PARR) program at Oregon Health and Science University.
• Overlaying focused IPE activities onto profession-specific curricular requirements.
• Utilizing critical reflection, goal setting, and community-based projects within rural clinical rotations.

Main Results:

• Med-PARR students engage in interprofessional learning activities that complement their core training.
• The program's flexible 'floating' IPE activities accommodate differing trainee schedules and requirements.
• Students critically reflect on interprofessional roles within their rural clinical experiences.

Conclusions:

• The Med-PARR program provides a practical and adaptable model for rural interprofessional education.
• This approach successfully integrates IPE into clinical training despite logistical complexities.
• Institutions can adopt the Med-PARR strategy to enhance their own community-based IPE initiatives.