Creating an Interprofessional Education Experience Through Short-Term Study Abroad

Abstract

Context: Student interest in and national recognition for the value of global education is expanding. Opportunities for interprofessional education (IPE) are a required component of athletic training education and education of other health care professions. Objective: To describe the development of a short-term study abroad IPE course in the international setting of Australia. Background: While some literature is available for discipline-specific study abroad experiences, limited information is available for implementing IPE in the international setting. Description: Two faculty leaders from athletic training and speech language pathology, with IPE experience, designed and conducted a 17-day immersive study abroad experience for 12 students from 7 health care professional programs (athletic training, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, premedical, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology). Clinical Advantage: Students desire unique, global learning experiences but may have trouble studying abroad for full semesters due to the lockstep nature of curriculum within their professional education programs. Having students learn from, with, and about each other in an international setting may enhance their preparation for collaborative practice. Conclusions: Short-term study abroad opportunities offer an alternative to satisfy student interest in global education while meeting programmatic requirements for IPE. Inclusion of faculty leaders from different disciplines fosters interprofessional learning. Study abroad experiences that include faculty leaders from different health care professions may provide a good model for interprofessional learning. Development of a study abroad experience should address factors including the following: course objectives, location rationale, budget, health, safety, security, and educational content. Study abroad experiences help to meet the increase in globalization and respect for cultural diversity seen in athletic training and other health care professions.