Baylor College of Medicine embraces interprofessional education (IPE) as essential to fulfilling our vision of improving health through science, scholarship and innovation.
The Four Competencies of IPE
Work with individuals of other professions to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values.
Use the knowledge of one’s own role and those of other professions to appropriately assess and address the healthcare needs of patients and promote and advance the health of populations.
Communicate with patients, families, communities and professionals in health and other fields in a responsive and responsible manner that supports a team approach to the promotion and maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of disease.
Apply relationship-building values and the principles of team dynamics to perform effectively in different team roles to plan, deliver and evaluate patient/population-centered care and population health programs and policies that are safe, timely, efficient, effective and equitable.
IPE in the M.D. Program
IPE experiences for BCM medical students begin in the first year and include initiatives with students and faculty from the BCM School of Health Professions, University of Houston College of Pharmacy and Texas Women’s University School of Nursing.
"During clinics, we shadow people in other healthcare professions. This has given me a great understanding of what other professionals do, allowing me to better appreciate everyone's role so that I can communicate more effectively."
"It was beneficial and enjoyable having anatomy class with physician assistant and nurse anesthesia students. These interaction built a team-oriented mentality, that continued to grow throughout the remainder of our training." -- Patrick Hunt, M.D./Ph.D. student
Students from other health professions disciplines take Anatomy lab, Ethics and Neuroscience classes along with medical students.
Inter-disciplinary training opportunities are integrated throughout the curriculum with:
The Launch Pad course, part of Team Launch, in which first-year medical students, health professions students and Ph.D. students come together to learn and practice teamwork skills and competencies
Shadowing health professionals in the Patient, Physician and Society course
A Patient Safety IPE in which medical, nursing and pharmacy students work together with guidance from faculty from each discipline to explore a case
"It was empowering to learn that other healthcare providers in the medical team have our back as future doctors, even when the worst happens. I think as future doctors we often feel like we bear the ultimate burden of a patient’s fragile life, but it really is about the entire team working together to optimize their health from multiple perspectives." -- Shelley Fang, M.D. student
A program in the Medicine Sub I when medical, pharmacy and nursing students work in teams to disclose a medical error to a standardized patient.
Home visits with pharmacy and nursing students as part of No Place Like Home in the Medicine Clerkship
Labor and Delivery Nurse Day in the OB/GYN Clerkship when medical students are relieved of duties pertaining to the OB/GYN physician team and works with a member of the nursing team
Working with psychologists during the Psychiatry Clerkship to learn roles, responsibilities and more about psychometric testing
Working with dental students and faculty during the Pediatric Clerkship
A crisis management simulation in which medical, nursing and pharmacy students manage a patient who presents to the emergency room in extremis.
Salvador Maffei, a student in the School of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, discusses how training with diverse members of the healthcare team has helped prepare him for his future.
Faculty, Residents & Fellows
If you are interested in interprofessional education and would like to participate in our annual Patient Safety IPE activity scheduled Sept. 17, 2019 from 1-3:30 p.m., contact Anne Gill. We recruit approximately 90 physician, nursing and pharmacy faculty, residents or fellows to serve as small group facilitators for this event. Faculty members are paired with members from another discipline and are requested to dedicate approximately three hours of time (1.5 hours for the session, one-hour training and 30 minutes for the debriefing).
Team Launch
Team Launch brings together students from the College's M.D. program, Ph.D. programs and health professions programs in innovative, interdisciplinary learning opportunities that prepare students for careers in team-based science and healthcare.
