Where Interprofessional Learning Begins

IPE 101 is a series of five online modules designed to welcome health professions students to Texas A&M Health and introduce the core concepts of interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice. Whether students are studying dentistry, engineering medicine, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, or public health, IPE 101 provides the essential foundation for working effectively on interprofessional health teams. 

The collective “North Star” for healthcare is the Quintuple Aim—improving patient outcomes, strengthening population health, reducing costs, supporting the well-being of the healthcare workforce, and advancing health equity. Achieving these goals requires exceptional teamwork skills, effective communication, and respect for the varied expertise across health professions. IPE 101 helps students begin developing these critical competencies. 

In IPE 101, students learn what it means to become not only members of their chosen profession, but also collaborative partners capable of contributing to safe, high-quality, person- and population-centered care.  After completion of the online IPE 101 course, students will:  

  • Explain how interprofessional education impacts patient and population outcomes.  
  • Identify various interprofessional education opportunities offered within Texas A&M Health. 
  • Express increased interest in opportunities to apply interprofessional principles to healthcare scenarios through Texas A&M Health IPE offerings. 

What Students Learn in IPE 101

The five modules in IPE 101 introduce key elements of interprofessional learning at Texas A&M Health: 

Module 1: What, and Who? IPE, Collaborative Practice, and TAMU Health 

Introduces the foundational concepts of interprofessional education and collaborative practice, with an overview of Texas A&M Health's colleges and schools and IPER's role in advancing IPE across the institution. 

Module 2: Why? Benefits of IPE and Collaborative Practice 

Explores why interprofessional education matters and how learning with, from, and about other health professions can support better teamwork, safer patient care, and improved health outcomes. 

Module 3: How? IPE Development 

Explores how interprofessional education is developed, from the ideas that inform its design to the learning activities that help students build toward interprofessional practice. 

Module 4: When and Where? Key IPE Events 

Introduces students to the major interprofessional learning experiences they may encounter throughout their academic journey and helps them understand how IPE is integrated across TAMU Health. 

Module 5: Applying Interprofessionalism 

Engages students in applying key interprofessional concepts through an unfolding case study and reflecting on professional roles and collaborative practice principles.

What Comes Next

 

Completing IPE 101 is only the first step in each student’s interprofessional journey. Throughout their time at Texas A&M Health, students will participate in a variety of team-based learning experiences that prepare them for collaborative practice upon graduation.