UWC's Interprofessional Education Unit (IPEU) recently organised and executed a highly successful pop-up clinic at Lentegeur Hospital in Mitchell's Plain.
Interprofessional education (IPE) plays a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) by fostering synergy between health workforce planning and health professions education.
At UWC, we offer an interprofessional curriculum to health and social science students, aiming to produce graduates who are well-prepared for collaboration through the acquisition and application of six interprofessional competencies. By implementing these core competencies, we promote effective collaboration and guide the development of learning approaches and assessment strategies within our curriculum.
Dr Luzaan Africa, a lecturer and IPECP coordinator & supervisor, explained the purpose behind student-led clinics, stating, "These clinics not only foster leadership qualities within ourselves as health professionals, educators, and supervisors but also create valuable interprofessional experiences for our students."
"What sets this IPE student-led clinic apart from others is the unique opportunity it provides for students to learn interprofessionally," she added.
Mrs Labeeqah Jaffer, also a lecturer and IPECP coordinator and supervisor, emphasized the significance of community engagement, saying, "In the past, we have offered services to our communities, and Mitchell's Plain is one of the partner communities of our Faculty of Community of Health Sciences. Additionally, it has provided us with simulation opportunities."
"The Pop-Up Clinic combines service offerings with a learning component, often overlooked in traditional service settings," Jaffer explained.
"Our approach is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of their actions, actively engaging them in collaborative and interprofessional aspects, allowing them to learn about each other's disciplines and how they can collaborate, always with the best outcome for the patient at the centre," she further elaborated.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr Africa summarised, "One key takeaway from our learnings is that not only do we often lack an understanding of the scope of other disciplines, but when engaging in interprofessional discussions alongside someone from our own discipline, we also gain a deeper understanding of the extent of our own scope of practice."
"Often, when we examine a patient case, we tend to see it through our own professional lens. However, being exposed to perspectives from other disciplines, such as a physiotherapist's viewpoint, can significantly broaden our understanding," Dr Africa concluded.
Interprofessional education (IPE) plays a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) by fostering synergy between health workforce planning and health professions education.
At UWC, we offer an interprofessional curriculum to health and social science students, aiming to produce graduates who are well-prepared for collaboration through the acquisition and application of six interprofessional competencies. By implementing these core competencies, we promote effective collaboration and guide the development of learning approaches and assessment strategies within our curriculum.
Dr Luzaan Africa, a lecturer and IPECP coordinator & supervisor, explained the purpose behind student-led clinics, stating, "These clinics not only foster leadership qualities within ourselves as health professionals, educators, and supervisors but also create valuable interprofessional experiences for our students."
"What sets this IPE student-led clinic apart from others is the unique opportunity it provides for students to learn interprofessionally," she added.
Mrs Labeeqah Jaffer, also a lecturer and IPECP coordinator and supervisor, emphasized the significance of community engagement, saying, "In the past, we have offered services to our communities, and Mitchell's Plain is one of the partner communities of our Faculty of Community of Health Sciences. Additionally, it has provided us with simulation opportunities."
"The Pop-Up Clinic combines service offerings with a learning component, often overlooked in traditional service settings," Jaffer explained.
"Our approach is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of their actions, actively engaging them in collaborative and interprofessional aspects, allowing them to learn about each other's disciplines and how they can collaborate, always with the best outcome for the patient at the centre," she further elaborated.
Reflecting on the experience, Dr Africa summarised, "One key takeaway from our learnings is that not only do we often lack an understanding of the scope of other disciplines, but when engaging in interprofessional discussions alongside someone from our own discipline, we also gain a deeper understanding of the extent of our own scope of practice."
"Often, when we examine a patient case, we tend to see it through our own professional lens. However, being exposed to perspectives from other disciplines, such as a physiotherapist's viewpoint, can significantly broaden our understanding," Dr Africa concluded.
