The interprofessional education of medical students and physician associate students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background Due to the potential for improved team working and patient care, interprofessional education (IPE) is increasingly recognized as a core competency within the education of health-care professionals. Methods In response to cancellation of the physician associate (PA) acute medicine clinical placement at our institution following COVID-19, a technology-focused, case-based IPE course between medical and PA students was implemented. The course consisted of 6 weekly seminars involving an average of 16 PA students, two medical students, and two supervising general practitioners. Course evaluation was mixed methods, comprising pre/postcourse questionnaires, weekly feedback forms, and postcourse e-mail interviews. Results The course improved the confidence and perceived knowledge base of all participating students across every clinical topic covered, while promoting interprofessional collaboration and understanding. Discussion To our knowledge, this represents one of the first IPE courses implemented between medical and PA students alone and has highlighted the need for further IPE courses between both professions. We show that successful IPE is feasible during a global pandemic, and that initiatives relying on technology alone are successful. Weekly written feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and based on the success of this course, faculty have planned further IPE opportunities between both professions.