Perspectives on Benefits and Challenges to Developing a Co-Teaching and Co-Learning Exchange between Community and Academic Partners.

Background: To train future professionals in health disparities and social determinants of health, academic health centers often use curricula exclusively developed and instructed by faculty.

Objective: To examine the perceptions and attitudes of faculty and community stakeholders towards the benefits of and challenges to developing co-teaching/co-learning exchange programs.

Methods: Faculty from six academic professional schools at a single institution and community members participated in focus groups. Interviews were video-recorded and reviewed for themes.

Results: Both faculty and community participants felt that partnering in the design and implementation of lectures addressing the social determinants of health could enhance curriculum and provide real-world context for the learning experience.

Conclusions: Our findings add to the literature examining the benefits and challenges of engagement between faculty and community and offer new insights on the value of co-teaching/co-learning experiences.