Medical student perceptions of an initial collaborative immersion experience.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Healthcare
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Reviews emphasize the need for innovative, longitudinal clinical learning in interprofessional education (IPE).
• Existing IPE often focuses on student-to-student interaction rather than direct interprofessional collaboration.
• There is a demand for educational models that foster early exposure to collaborative practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and early outcomes of the Initial Clinical Experience (ICE) course.
• To evaluate the impact of a longitudinal, practice-based course on first-year medical students' understanding of interprofessional collaboration.
• To assess the course's contribution to students' comprehension of healthcare systems and professional roles.

Main Methods:

• Development of the ICE, a longitudinal practice-based course for first-year medical students.
• Students attended 14 sessions across 18 clinical sites, interacting with professionals from 17 disciplines.
• Data collected from 81 end-of-course evaluations and narrative comments from 167 students (2015-2016).

Main Results:

• 86% of students agreed ICE improved understanding of healthcare teams and professional roles.
• 84% reported improved understanding of healthcare systems.
• 65% felt their ability to work on interprofessional teams improved, with 61% noting improved communication skills.

Conclusions:

• The ICE course effectively introduces medical students to interprofessional collaboration and healthcare systems.
• Clinical immersion in ICE enhances understanding of professional roles and fosters respect among future healthcare professionals.
• ICE serves as a potential template for other institutions seeking to implement longitudinal, authentic clinical experiences.