ABSTRACT
In this paper, we report on the process by which Saitama Medical School, the medical department of Saitama Prefectural University, which also has departments of nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, child and social welfare, and health science, realized interprofessional （IP） practice by interuniversity cooperation and report on the results of that process. For the realization of IP education （IPE） through interuniversity cooperation, university presidents’ must share their recognition of the mutual benefits and importance of IPE, and the teaching staff must work together towards a common goal. The benefits of locally based IPE （IP practice） of Saitama Prefectural University were that medical students became more aware of their role as caregivers for the entirety of their patients’ lives and that students of other departments were able to participate in IP work with medical students as part of their undergraduate education, to form partnerships with physicians, and to clarify the special nature of their occupations.
ABSTRACT
At Showa University, which consists of the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, systematic interprofessional education for the purpose of training staff who can contribute to the medical team has been introduced with the cooperation of all 4 schools and through all undergraduate years. In the lower years, students study the basics of medical team care through a 4-school joint curriculum of experiential learning （such as early exposure） and problem-based learning inside and outside of the university. In the upper years, to acquire practical skills, students study the practice of medical team care through a joint curriculum of participatory learning in hospitals and the community. Through this curriculum, I expect that the medical staff to promote patient-centered team medical care in a variety of medical fields will grow in the future.