INTER-PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE FEURT SYMPOSIUM
Memphis, Tennessee (February 23, 2005) – Students and faculty benefited from the wisdom of 3 students and 5 deans as the topic of Inter-professional Education was front and center on our campus at the Feurt Symposium. According to Leonard Compton, DPh, and Chair of the Feurt Committee, "today's 15th Annual Feurt Symposium is one of the most important that we've ever had."
 A panel of medical professionals explained the need for inter-professionalism and fielded questions from students. |
Joining the deans of the UTHSC colleges of graduate health sciences (Dr. Dick Peppler), nursing (Dr. Donna Hathaway), and pharmacy (Dr. Dick Gourley) were Dr. Daniel Robinson, Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University in Boston, MA and Dr. Marilyn Speedie, Dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN. Also on the panel were John Williamson, P-3 Student and President of the Pharmacy Student Government Association, Rita West, DNP Student in Nursing Administration, and Kelly Green, M-2 Student.
Dr. Gourley stated that the current educational model in health professions' education provides training in silos. With the exception of the Rice Intercollegiate Bowl, the City Schools program, and the Health Policy Program, very few of the health professions' students have courses or activities together during their educational programs.
Drs. Donna Hathaway and Dick Peppler described the inter-professional health practice course in development at UTHSC. An inter-professional task force of students, faculty, and administrators from the colleges of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy has been meeting regularly since August 2004 to establish a required inter-professional course for students.
The college of Allied Health recently joined the group and, as other colleges are ready and interested in participating, they are invited to join the task force. The course, IP844: Inter-professional Health Practice, provides a framework for all health professionals students to discover the benefits of a practice that actively engages all health professions. "Engaging all health professions in inter-professional practice is the way that health care must be delivered," according to Dr. Peppler.
IP844 is divided into 3 phases. Phase I involves a web-based introduction to the health professions. Phase II focuses on team building and patient centered care through incorporating workshops on team-building principles, working with patients and family members at one or more clinics, and reading on the benefits of inter-professional practice. Phase III highlights inter-professional communication and collaboration in practice through participation in inter-professional group projects, symposia, electives, and mission trips.
According to Dr. Hathaway, "Inter-professional collaboration will take more than simply putting our silos in the same field!"
The symposium continued with Dr. Robinson and Dr. Speedie sharing their experiences in inter-professional education. The event concluded with a question and answer session with students and other audience participants.
Overall the Feurt Symposium was successful in identifying the need for more inter-professional activities and the steps that are being taken at UTHSC to offer these activities.
Established in 1975, the Seldon D. Feurt Fund supports a wide variety of programs, including the Feurt Memorial Symposium, the Graduate Scholars Program, International Rotation Scholarships, PharmD Scholarships, and matching funds for Plough Scholarships.
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