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Students put healthy skills into practice

Interdisciplinary education was the focus of a new series of workshops piloted at MSP recently.

A pilot interprofessional learning (IPL) program for second year medicine, paramedicine and pharmacy, the inaugural workshop marked the first time students from all three disciplines came together formally for learning.

The pilot was a result of a Teaching Development Grant awarded to School of Medicine Lecturer in Pharmacology Dr Bonnie Bereznicki.

“I have been working with a great team of staff from each discipline to design and implement case-based IPL workshops,” Dr Bereznicki said.

“This is the first time we have had all three health disciplines learning together, and we are very excited about it.”

The workshops are facilitated by doctors, paramedics and pharmacists, and give students the chance to follow a fictional patient from the emergency environment, into the hospital through to discharge, and into the community.

Student and facilitator surveys follow each workshop to gage views and feedback about the activity.

“Through the workshops, paramedicine, medicine and pharmacy students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in each of these environments, while learning about the roles of other health professionals,” Dr Bereznicki said.

“Staff also work together to design and implement the IPL activities, allowing collaborations and peer learning between disciplines.”

It is hoped similar IPL activities can be incorporated into curricula long-term.

The next workshop will be held in semester two.