SOP & SOM First-Year IPE Introductory Experience: Anatomy Lab and Case Study

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TTUHSC Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE) Experience

Title of the Interprofessional Practice and Education Experience

SOP & SOM First-Year IPE Introductory Experience: Anatomy Lab and Case Study

Experience Status

Approved

Approval Date Range

7/14/2026 - 7/14/2027

Registration Details for Learners

all first year traditional pharmacy and medical students will be automatically enrolled (optional for 1st-year pioneer pathway program within sop)

Criteria for Registering the IPE Experience

• Involvement of two or more professions.
• Opportunities to learn about, from, and with one another through active interprofessional engagement.
• Significant interactivity between participants across professions.
• Teaching and/or learning about interprofessional practice and education is intentionally integrated into the experience. Interprofessional practice and education constructs are targeted through IPE learning objectives and are also discussed, trained, reviewed, and/or assessed as part of the learning activity.

Type of IPE Experience

• Case-based and/or problem-based learning
• Workshop, interactive demo, or small group activity
• Didactic learning

IPEC Core Competencies Targeted by this IPE Experience

• Teams and Teamwork: Apply values and principles of the science of teamwork to adapt one's own role in a variety of team settings.
• Communication: Communicate in a responsive, responsible, respectful, and compassionate manner with team members.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Use the knowledge of one’s own role and team members’ expertise to address individual and population health outcomes.
• Values and Ethics: Work with team members to maintain a climate of shared values, ethical conduct, and mutual respect.

Quintuple Aim Strategic Goals Discussed in this IPE Experience

• Enhancing the experience of care
• Improving patient and/or population health outcomes

Detailed Description and Purpose of the IPE Experience

Healthcare is increasingly delivered through collaborative, patient-centered teams in which professionals from multiple disciplines work together to provide safe, high-quality, and coordinated care. Physicians and pharmacists play complementary roles in optimizing medication use, preventing disease, managing chronic conditions, and improving patient outcomes. Developing these collaborative skills early in professional training prepares future healthcare professionals to communicate effectively, understand each profession's unique expertise, and function as high-performing members of interprofessional teams.

This introductory interprofessional education (IPE) experience brings together first-year medical and pharmacy students to learn with, from, and about one another through a shared gross anatomy laboratory, case-based learning, team-based activities and facilitated reflection. During the anatomy laboratory, interprofessional teams of approximately 10 students will explore pulmonary anatomy, physiology, systems integration, and pathology while examining cadaveric specimens. Students will then apply their learning to a patient case involving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), integrating foundational science with clinical decision-making and collaborative problem-solving.

Following the case discussion, faculty facilitators will guide interprofessional debrief sessions that encourage students to reflect on team dynamics, communication, and the contributions of each profession to patient care. The event also includes a physician-pharmacist panel discussion highlighting real-world examples of collaborative practice and the impact of effective teamwork on patient outcomes.

The purpose of this introductory IPE experience is to establish a foundation for collaborative practice by fostering mutual respect, professional identity, and appreciation of complementary roles within healthcare teams. Through intentional interaction and structured reflection, students begin developing the IPEC Core Competencies of Values and Ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, and Teams and Teamwork, preparing them to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care throughout their education and future practice. This experience serves as the first step in a longitudinal IPE curriculum designed to strengthen collaboration across the health professions.

Learning objectives for this activity include:

1. Explore pulmonary anatomy through a collaborative gross anatomy dissection with interprofessional team members.

Collaborate with medical and pharmacy students to apply foundational knowledge in solving a patient case involving a chronic pulmonary disease.

2. Define interprofessional education (IPE) and describe the four IPEC Core Competencies: Values and Ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication, and Teams and Teamwork.

3. Identify at least one new insight learned from and about another health profession, including its educational preparation and role in patient care.

4. Explain how interprofessional collaboration contributes to patient safety and improved patient outcomes.

Level of IPE Integration

• 1. Foundations Level: Consists of introductory learning activities that provide learners with the opportunity to interact and learn from professionals and peers from disciplines beyond their own. The desired outcome for activities offered at this level is that learners will gain a deeper understanding of their profession while gaining an appreciation for the perspective and roles of other professions.

Target Audiences

IPEC Core Competencies for the Experience