Patients and Community Members as Equal Partners in Curriculum Decision-Making

Patients and community members make essential contributions to health professional education, which has consistently demonstrated a positive impact on student learning. However, patients and community members do not often have the opportunity for formal participation at higher levels outside instructional spaces. Teaching faculty leaders in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia formed the Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC) whereby community members contribute as equal partners in curriculum decision-making.

The IAC provided oversight and authority on the decolonisation and Indigenisation efforts in the pharmacy programme and was formally embedded in the governance model and reporting structure of the curriculum committee. Majority membership was Indigenous members to ensure these experts were the leading voice. The IAC developed five curricular pillars and accompanying core learning objectives to underpin all Indigenous content across the pharmacy programme and devised an engagement pathway for collaboration with community partners.

Key changes were implemented in the pharmacy curriculum, including a mandatory Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety course, the first of its kind among pharmacy programmes in Canada. In formal committee feedback, community members described feeling valued as their input is reflected and prioritised in decision-making. Student members were motivated to form a new social club for Indigenous students to connect and share cultural experiences.

The work of IAC ensured relevant student courses and content was rooted in authentic lived experiences with a community-informed focus on strengths and needs. Equal-partner roles in curriculum decision-making loosened conventional hierarchical structures and reinforced community relationships and forged new collaborations.