Abstract
This study was designed to explore medical students’ and primary school teachers’ experiences of a new community teaching project. Academic staff and students from the School of Medicine Dundee, National Health Service partners, local education department, and primary school teachers engaged in a collaborative project which has embedded community engagement in the curriculum while encouraging interprofessional education through multiagency working. Influenced by evaluative inquiry, this qualitative study used an online questionnaire, designed to give participants the freedom to respond, and give their own opinions, via free text responses. The results show the value of a real primary school–based situation, and the merit of experiential learning gained throughout the program, in which students interacted with children about health promotion in a meaningful way. The interprofessional and collaborative nature of the project enhanced the value of the experience for all participants in relation to the benefits of teamwork, dispelling the doctor authority and recognition of the roles of others. The experience was an interactive, enjoyable, and expressive way to facilitate learning, and has helped prepare the health care students for future practice.
Highlights
Interprofessional education (IPE) for health professionals and multiagency working has been moving up the political and professional agenda
Through an evaluative inquiry approach, this article reports on the way in which academic staff and students from the School of Medicine Dundee, United Kingdom; National Health Service (NHS) partners; local education department, and primary school teachers engaged in a collaborative project which has embedded community engagement in the curriculum while encouraging IPE through multiagency working
Medical students described the experience as developing insight of the skills required for teaching in future practice; it enriched their medical curriculum; it was “novel” and original in its design while being different from traditional teaching; students took pride in being role models for young children, and they were keen to have a positive impact on the child and the communities that they were entering; and the interactive nature of the sessions was beneficial to all children and, in particular, to those children with special needs
Summary
Interprofessional education (IPE) for health professionals and multiagency working has been moving up the political and professional agenda. The reason for the growth in IPE activity is the requirement for health and social care graduates to be competent regarding interprofessional collaboration and team working in a variety of settings. Through an evaluative inquiry approach, this article reports on the way in which academic staff and students from the School of Medicine Dundee, United Kingdom; National Health Service (NHS) partners; local education department, and primary school teachers engaged in a collaborative project which has embedded community engagement in the curriculum while encouraging IPE through multiagency working. Themes for the activities or stations are based on the “Teddy Bear Hospital” (European Medical Students Association, 2005) These include Oral health, It’s an emergency/people who help us, Broken bones and Bandaging Station, What-a-Doctor-Uses/Medication, Teddy Surgery, and What’s inside my body. The aim is to supplement the experiences of children and young people aged 3 to 18 years throughout their education
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