Interprofessionalism brings together a variety of practitioners to collaborate within patients’ health teams. We strongly believe this is an optimal approach to learning and practicing health care — and it shows in almost everything we do at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.

When we ask our students what makes Â鶹ӰÒô unique, they inevitably mention interprofessionalism. It’s how we intentionally develop strong teams to improve patient care.

What it Means

Interprofessional education (IPE): Students in different health professions learn about, from and with each other as a means to coordinating and improving patient care.

Interprofessional health care: Improved patient outcomes — especially as healthcare delivery and insurance systems continue to change — drive our commitment to teaching, learning, and clinical care, and have established Â鶹ӰÒô as national leaders in this area.

Benefits of Interprofessionalism

• Studies show that team-based care improves patient health outcomes, is more prevention-focused, and improves efficiency in terms of both time and cost.
• Learning in an interprofessional environment better prepares students for working in real healthcare settings.
• Learning from and with peers in other academic disciplines helps students understand the big picture in patient care, and improves their communication and problem-solving skills.
• Interprofessionalism is the best way to prepare for a career in the rapidly changing health professions, in part because increasing numbers of providers are shifting to team-based care.

Interprofessionalism In Action

Our six colleges and more than 30 graduate health-profession and science programs — all on a single campus — provide multiple opportunities for people from different disciplines to come together. Â鶹ӰÒô students gain hands-on, team-based experience caring for patients in our Interprofessional Community Clinic and through our service learning programs. They also regularly work in teams within our network of simulation labs.

Each first-year clinical program student takes The Foundations for Interprofessional Practice course during the fall and winter quarters, laying the groundwork for their academic experience and eventual career.

Additionally, the DeWitt C. Baldwin Institute for Interprofessional Education serves as a university-wide coordinating hub for all interprofessional learning and clinical opportunities, and also as a national leader in research on interprofessional research and practices. Established in 2013, the Baldwin Institute is one of only a handful of interprofessional institutes in the United States.

The bottom line: Â鶹ӰÒô has a proven track record of teaching and learning success with interprofessionalism. And our students tell us they feel prepared to work in interprofessional environments after they graduate.

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