How MCPHS is Building Collaborative Care Teams with IPE

Treating Opioid Use Disorder

Another pillar of IPE at MCPHS is providers working together to prevent and address opioid use disorder. Students from multiple programs gather in groups to discuss patient scenarios. They work together to recognize warning signs, develop appropriate treatments, and identify ways they can reduce opioid use. Students also complete a naloxone training program and receive a certificate for learning to administer the nasal spray medication to patients experiencing an overdose.

Scenario-Based Learning

After practicing interprofessional skills through group discussions and case work, students on the Boston campus participate in a Team Observed Structured Clinical Encounter (TOSCE). Hundreds of students work in small groups of students from at least three different programs to enter a patient simulation, complete with an actor and a faculty observer. They are evaluated on their ability to work as a team to create a plan that best addresses the patient’s needs.

Providing Culturally Humble Care

Students prepare to treat diverse patient populations by participating in an interprofessional book club. They read “Medicine in Translation: Journeys with my Patients” by Danielle Ofri, then gather to discuss the author’s experiences and patient stories in the book. Students speak candidly about what they learned and the perspective they gained about the importance of being a culturally sensitive provider.

Involving the Community

Some IPE activities allow students to practice their skills working with real patients in their community in need of medical support and advice. Each spring, students from the Worcester campus visit the Colony Retirement Homes to provide free health education and screenings to residents. In one short session, community members see at least three types of providers and discuss health challenges they are facing.

For other activities, community members come to campus. As part of their participation with the Balance, Movement, and Wellness Center, community members meet with pharmacy and physical therapy students to discuss how their medications could affect their daily movement and activities.

The largest community-based IPE activity brings older adults from the Worcester area to campus. Held in honor of National Falls Prevention Week, students educate community members about how to decrease their risk of falling and suffering serious injury.

Smaller Activities, More Space to Learn

Co-curricular IPE activities give students the opportunity to experience a different profession in more detail. Acupuncture and physical therapy students gather to discuss their approaches to treating similar symptoms and physical ailments. Students from both programs also demonstrated various treatment techniques on each other.

Expanding Opportunities to Learn

At MCPHS, IPE is evolving and growing. Students on the Boston campus participate in activities with other institutions, including Harvard and Tufts University, to experience working with professions not represented at MCPHS. Students in Worcester and Manchester, NH collaborate with institutions like UMass Medical Center and Saint Vincent Hospital. Students have also attended IPE events hosted by other institutions, a voluntary experience to build their communication and networking skills.

Most of all, under the leadership of faculty, MCPHS makes IPE fun. Each spring, students in Worcester are invited to an IPE “Jeopardy!” night, working in teams to answer trivia questions. In honor of National IPE Month, the Worcester and Manchester, NH campuses held the first IPE scavenger hunt, challenging students to complete tasks like interviewing a peer from a different program and writing a haiku.

Across every campus and program, students who want to engage in interprofessional learning can do so by connecting with the Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education.