Exploring Medical Students' Learning Through Interprofessional Interactions in Clinical Clerkships: A Qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interprofessional Healthcare
• Clinical Learning Environments

Background:

• Medical students require guidance to effectively engage in clinical settings.
• Prior research on student learning has primarily focused on physician mentorship.
• The role of other health professionals (OHPs) in student learning remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how medical students learn to participate in clinical work through interactions with OHPs.
• To understand the mechanisms and outcomes of interprofessional learning during clinical clerkships.

Main Methods:

• A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed.
• 17 semistructured interviews were conducted with medical students at Harvard Medical School.
• Students utilized rich pictures to illustrate interprofessional interactions, which were then analyzed iteratively.

Main Results:

• Students initially perceived interprofessional interactions as unfamiliar territory, relying on peer-shared knowledge ('intraprofessional lore').
• Through direct experience and sense-making, students developed competence in their physician role and understanding of OHP roles and expertise.
• Learning was sometimes hindered by reliance on 'intraprofessional lore' or challenges in interpreting OHP behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Interactions with OHPs are crucial for medical students to understand physician and OHP roles and expertise.
• Medical educators should facilitate reflection between students and OHPs during clerkships.
• Attention to how physicians and students discuss other professions can enhance learning outcomes.