Multiprofessional education in the medical curriculum

The aim of this project was to design a programme for the students at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) which has long fostered multiprofessional education, and encourages development of positive attitudes and skills related to collaboration with other health professionals. This should be characterized by mutual respect and understanding and should also provide students with insight into the various professional roles and competencies involved in collaboration within the health care system. A multi-professional training ward, and since January 1996 a student-manned training ward, has been in operation at the Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital, Linköping. The care, treatment and rehabilitation of patients is performed by students from all the education programmes at the FHS. While the supervisors are medically responsible, they generally only observe and provide guidance without taking too much active part in the practical work. The students are recruited during one of their last two semesters when they have attained fairly good insight into their future professional roles. Experience thus far has shown that a training ward seems to be a very efficient way of improving the ability to work as a team with real patients, and is an inspiring and efficient means for obtaining these skills which, in turn, are essential in future professional work. This paper reports the implementation and first experiences of the training ward. A detailed evaluation of the effects of an educational ward, taking into account the opinions and attitudes of students, teachers and patients, is in progress.