Developing an Undergraduate Interprofessional Collaborative Curriculum

This abstract describes the development of a four year integrated interprofessional curriculum for undergraduate students.  Regis College has strong undergraduate Medical Imaging, Nursing, Nutrition, Public Health, and Social Work programs.  Traditionally, these programs have worked independently of each other.  Over the past two years these programs have moved to a more interprofessional curriculum with students learning about, from and with each other. Common courses have been developed for each year of the four-year curriculum to allow students to engage in interactive learning with those outside their profession.  Starting in their first year at Regis, students interested in any of the health professions take a course on the interdependence of the health care arena (including teamwork and communication skills). During their next two years they take courses that address values and ethics for interprofessional practices, communication, team dynamics and effective relationship building.  Within their discipline specific program, the roles and responsibilities of their field are addressed. During their final year, students have the opportunity to participate in a population based outreach program that allows them to synthesize the competencies that they have been taught during their previous three years.  The final course prepares them to enter a workforce that is focused on the patient and population oriented.  We have partnered with a dynamic multicultural and multiethnic working city in northeastern Massachusetts to provide students with the opportunity to participate in population based public health projects.