A qualitative study of medical students’ perspectives on a clinically-based interprofessional shadowing course

Abstract

Collaborative practice in healthcare aims to improve the quality of patient care. However, not all institutions have various health education programs to implement interprofessional education. Shadowing allows students to learn and engage with different healthcare professions in the clinical setting. This study investigated the medical students' perceptions, experiences, and reflections after shadowing different healthcare professionals for one week. Six-year medical students rotated to six different disciplines in a week, and thirty-one students were interviewed individually after completion of the course. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, and four themes were identified: perception of health care professionals, hierarchy, empathy, and suggestions for the shadowing course. Findings indicated that the shadowing course was an effective method for interprofessional learning.