Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Mississauga

The Mississauga Academy of Medicine and the Education Office at Trillium Health Partners offer Interprofessional Education (IPE) Electives open to all U of T health professions learners, with a focus on learners in Mississauga.

Each U of T health professions program has different requirements for IPE Learning Activities that their learners must engage in. For more information about these activities, please visit the Centre for Advancing Collaborative & Healthcare Education (CACHE) website.

Facilitating & Developing Interprofessional Education in Mississauga

The IPE program at THP is seeking passionate facilitators (learners, staff, professional staff) to lead IPE elective sessions (virtual or in-person) and/or develop new IPE electives. These IPE sessions are attended by a variety of health professions learners across THP and U of T, and are primarily case-based activities designed to discuss topics of interest with special attention to developing the Core Competencies of Interprofessional Practice, such as interprofessional communication, role clarification, team functioning, collaborative leadership, interprofessional conflict resolution, and patient/client/family/community-centered care.

Here are some ways you can get involved in the IPE program:

DIP YOUR TOES IN: offer to help facilitate small group discussions in one of the IPE sessions and observe (no content knowledge necessary!)
WADE IN: sign up as IPE facilitators to present one or more IPE sessions
DIVE INTO THE DEEP END: volunteer to develop and run a new IPE elective.

For individuals interested in academia, teaching, and curriculum development, facilitation is a great entry point that enables you to gain valuable experience and meet content experts. You are not required to be a content expert; tipsheets and 1:1 training is available.

Learner facilitators are eligible to receive IPE credits for their contributions, which count towards the Letter of Distinction available from the U of T Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare & Education (CACHE) for completing six or more elective learning activities over the course of their studies. Learners who engage in developing a new elective or in refreshing an existing elective can receive additional credits. Facilitators and developers can also receive a reference letter upon completion of their role in IPE.

Staff and professional staff facilitators will receive timely feedback about their facilitation. In addition, facilitators will receive a letter detailing their contributions to health professions education, useful for advancement and academic promotions processes as part of a teaching dossier.

We are here to help and support you. Should you be interested in joining the IPE program as a session facilitator, elective content developer, or as a mentor, please contact us!
dania.nasser@thp.ca; cindy.quinton@thp.ca; mam.researchprojects@utoronto.ca

Example Mississauga IPE Electives

Faces of Healthcare - A Student Led IPE Elective

Using real life stories to highlight the patient experience and opportunities for collaboration between different health professionals.

My First Patient Death

Your first patient death can be a lonely and frightening experience. Come out and learn about current approaches to end of life care and strategies to build coping and resiliency within yourself and as part of the Interprofessional team. This interprofessional learning experience will be guided by experienced end-of-life health care providers.

Dietetics: Collaborating with Dietitians

More than just nutrition plans and weight loss. Understand the role of the dietitian in both an inpatient and outpatient setting, when to refer and how to collaborate.

Dealing with Patient Bias & Racism

Health care providers often find themselves in difficult encounters with patients expressing strong biases, especially with respect to race. Through a case-based approach, this elective will elucidate the many facets of such interactions. We will consider perspectives and tools to understand, address, and cope with these experiences.

Making Ethical Decisions

With students from other professions, work through challenging ethical scenarios using an ethical decision-making framework.

Incivility in the Workplace

Enhance your learning through the benefits of reflective practice with students from other professions. This session seeks to raise awareness of incivility in the workplace, reflect on what a healthy workplace looks like and the importance of building healthy interprofessional relationships, and reflect on what we can do as individuals to promote a healthy workplace.

Contacts

Dr. Cindy Quinton
Physician Lead, Interprofessional Education & Education Innovation
Dania Nasser
Education Consultant - Simulation, Research, Observerships & Education
Education Office, Trillium Health Partners
mam.researchprojects@utoronto.ca
Coordinator, Student Research Projects & Education Initiatives
Mississauga Academy of Medicine