The University of Minnesota is a leader in developing interprofessional education for students in health professional programs. However, fewer opportunities exist for undergraduate pre-health students to learn about the collaborative nature of healthcare and prepare for the increasing interprofessional practice education in health programs. This talk will share how a course and observership program created by the Pre-Health Student Resource Center (PHSRC) in collaboration with academic and health system leaders both prepares pre-health students for interprofessional collaborative practice and improves teamwork and communication on healthcare teams.
Many students pursue a health career driven to positively impact people’s lives by improving their health and well-being. However, as students choosing and preparing for a health career, they should understand early on that improving health outcomes cannot be done by one health profession alone; a variety of perspectives must be combined to deliver high-quality, holistic care and optimize the patient experience.
Teamwork and Interprofessional Collaboration in Healthcare is a Fall 2025 course for undergraduate pre-health students that will introduce them to the concepts and skills necessary for collaboration between health professionals, staff, patients, and families. Through case studies, role-playing, and team-based exercises, students will begin developing the skills needed to be an effective member of an interprofessional team. Students will learn about the roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals, ethical challenges, communication strategies, and teamwork skills. Learning will be measured by a pre- and post-test, weekly assignments, and a final team-based case study.
After completing the course, students will be eligible to participate in the PHSRC Observership Program. This program grew out of the demand among pre-health students for shadowing opportunities and the idea to create a program that benefited both students and health professionals. The Observership Program includes pre-health students as observers of multidisciplinary team rounds in the hospital. Students complete a structured observation tool, generating data used to measure health professionals’ demonstration of communication and teamwork. Data collected is then brought back to the health professional teams observed, providing them with the opportunity to improve their practice and enhance the patient experience and quality of care.
This talk will share highlights from the process of designing the Observership Program and its prerequisite course. Attendees will learn how partnerships between the University of Minnesota and system leaders were key to developing the Observership Program, and considerations to make when building similar courses and programs to prepare students for interprofessional collaborative practice.
