Community (Clinical) Engagement Discussions

10/19 and 10/20

Main Theme Summary

  1. Clinical experiences:
  2. For accredited programs (CSD, PT, PA, AT, MLS)
  3. Key in applying knowledge of classroom to practice in various settings/with various populations
  4. Competencies/types of experience are prescribed, parameters/expectations for clinical experiences—can look to the profession for a level of standardization
  5. Qualifications of supervisor prescribed; populations and/or settings for clinical placements prescribed
  6. For undergraduate programs and pre-major/pre-professional students-
  7. Development of knowledge of healthcare – how it works, roles/responsibilities of various professions
  8. Exploration of majors/professions; affirming major/profession choice
  9. Preparation for admission to a full-major or graduate/professional program- meeting requirements, building a competitive application
  10. Development of understanding of professionalism and expectations of the profession (training and work)
  11. Challenges
  12. Finding placements in general- limited placements and preceptors in the community for all programs (development and retention of sites ongoing)
  13. Competition with other universities/programs for spots—internal competition for graduate/professional clinical options vs. undergraduate shadowing/observation opportunities
  14. increased undergraduate student numbers- could be hitting capacity
  15. UG placements may not always match student expectations (or admissions requirements to grad/professional programs) due to extent ot need
  16. Program level communication and coordination in areas such as placement development, utilization, etc.
  17. Ensure a reflective component to experiences—with alternative experience, ensuring students process these experiences and are able to articulate how they translate to their preparedness for a program of study or a profession
  1. Graduate and Professional program expectations for UG student applicants- what is valued? What is available?

PT

  • Academically successful students but also ones who understand others—the context in which people live
  • Diversity of experiences once the required number of shadowing/observation hours are reached- build-out understanding of context of where people live—their challenges, resources, experiences; social determinants in health
  • Develop IPE identity through experiences (IPE competencies)
  • Include a

CSD

  • Variety of experiences to prepare students for competitive admission:
  • UK National Speech, language and Hearing association - has this association at the undergraduate level; community service as a cohort, faculty rotate being faculty advisors, voluntary for the student and essential for competitive admission
  • Different venues of observation:
  • Use of video observation: Master Clinician in CSD-25 hours of observation is required for certification- video allowed now due to saturation of observation requests (watch, reflect, discuss)- embedded in a course (Donna Morris)
  • Patient simulations used at the graduate level

PA

  • Because of difficulty of students getting shadowing experiences, decreased emphasis on this component—other experiences and students’ demonstrated knowledge of what they know about the profession, how a PA works is important
  • Will be doing 3- month block of summer courses, which will allow for some programmatic and experience changes

MLS

  • MLS 120- offering observation hours of medical lab (need to protect these placements for students in need of this specific type of observation)
  • MLS 121 class- developing a more of a hands-on approach within the class
  • Curriculum has 6 hours of electives that are now in 2nd year but this could be placed in the first year to embed IPE and other high impact experiences (including 120 courses)

HHS and CLM:

  • Student numbers increased- classes are large and harder to place students
  • Relieve the pressures among the HHS and CLM program placements by exploring high impact activities

Opportunities

  • Discussed in Community Engagement meetings and UGE Initiatives Workgroup meeting: Use the ICF Social determinants of health as an organizing framework :
  • “The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.”

SOURCE:

  • Professional programs already employ this framework- could continue this as a foundation of undergraduate education.
  • Additional reading: Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health: Commission on Social Determinants of health/ World Health Organization;
  • Cross-program involvement: involve undergraduate students in graduate/professional classes as ‘patients’ (e.g., ‘patients’ in PT labs, simulated patients with script for PA students for patient engagement/intake/initial exam, simulated family for CSD for practice in health literacy)
  • UG students could learn first-hand what the grad/professional students do—what classes might be like
  • UG students could work with other professionals to develop IPE understanding
  • Professional students could receive feedback, including on IP and other professional competencies
  • Summer camp for children with speech and language disorders- 3 weeks at a time morning or afternoon; could make this Interprofessional—add PA (ear, eye exams)-add others?
  • Telehealth- this has become more of a norm in programs—opportunities here?
  • Look at HHS 101 and other similar courses- flipped classroom approach—record interviews or expose to professions virtually—use some class time for interaction, applied experiences
  • Examine use of shadowing/observation built into classes at undergraduate level and expectations for amount of this—explore alternative meaningful, high impact experiences ensuring a reflective component
  • Use of video simulations for observing team work (IPE) and profession-specific interactions (e.g., Donna Morris’s class)
  • Look to established programs to frame experiences (conceptually)- e.g., WHO international- social determinants of health/functions of health
  • Service learning opportunities that provide relevant experience (e.g., CLM is teaching one SL section of course to compare against traditional); what are we doing in CHS now with this? Can we expand this and also make IPE?
  • Volunteering-- coordinate with the hospitals and volunteer office—could volunteer a couple hours a week in one setting and then rotate- could create a formal expectation of students being involved there. Embed this in a course to create accountability

Developing professionalism

  • Prepare the student prior to experience to gain optimal advantage from what they are doing—create experiences where they are contributing and help them see the learning and services via reflection and processing—professionalism can be cultivated through volunteering, service—shows reliability, commitment, etc.
  • MLS is offering a professionalism course for first time this spring—discuss this, including how students can influence their environments

All agreed regular meetings of practicum/clinical coordinators would be helpful