"We Are All Students:" An Interprofessional Education Approach to Teaching Radiation Oncology Residents

The principal goal of interprofessional education (IPE) is to cultivate collaborative practice for providing patient centered care. Introduction to Radiation Therapy (IRT) is a course designed to introduce radiation oncology residents to the radiation treatment process and the interprofessional nature of the radiation oncology environment. Each resident is paired with a radiation therapy student during the clinical portion of the IRT course. The intent behind the pairing is to facilitate opportunities for IPE and to establish a professional relationship for interprofessional collaboration in the future. The overall outcome of the IPE experience has been positive and beneficial to both groups. Results of the survey examining the residents' and the radiation therapy students' perception of their IPE experience within the IRT course showed that they were able to gain insight into each other's role, as well as learn with and from each other. However, the timing of the IPE experience had some impact on the participants' ability to reflect on their own practice and share it meaningfully.