Learning inter-professionally: a review of experiences

This paper details the educational approaches used in a programme of interprofessional education within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton. This initiative focussed on 1,000 first year undergraduate students undertaking courses in medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and podiatry. Students were split into 100 facilitated learning groups and asked to construct a scenario, from a selection of clinical topics, against which they answered 3 clinically focussed questions and critically appraised their experiences of team working. Assessment was through an oral presentation of their work to peers and facilitators. The entire experience has been evaluated from both the students’ and the facilitators’ view points – salient issues raised in this evaluation will be presented and discussed in the light of planned future interprofessional exercises during the second and third years of these students’ programmes. Conclusions surrounding the opportunities and barriers to interprofessional education will be drawn