Current state of interprofessional education in Canadian medical schools: Findings from a national survey

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional education (IPE) is being increasingly recognised and prioritised in undergraduate medical education. While efforts are underway to integrate IPE into health professional curricula across Canada, the state of IPE in Canadian medical schools remains unclear. This study aims to assess the current practice of IPE in Canadian undergraduate medical curricula. An online survey was distributed to IPE directors (or designees) of all Canadian medical schools. The survey gathered details of the IPE experiences offered, curriculum structure, and perceived barriers to the programmes. The survey was completed by 12 of 17 Canadian medical schools and revealed that IPE is generally well represented in Canadian undergraduate medical education curricula. Reported barriers to IPE efforts included scheduling and funding limitations. By comparison, student interest was one of the least commonly cited issues. It would appear that students and faculty are interested in advancing the state of IPE in undergraduate medical education. The results of this study are crucial as IPE continues to evolve as a component of undergraduate medical curricula across the globe.

KEYWORDS:

• Canada
• education
• interprofessional education
• interprofessional learning
• medical schools
• medical students

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Supplemental materials for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website at https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2017.1315060.