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Interprofessional Education

Teaching Teamwork in a Simulated Hospital Scenario

  • Students from different health majors – nursing, public health, nutritional sciences, medical laboratory science and physical therapy – participate in a simulation to learn how to work on a team for the benefit of a patient (acted by a UMass Lowell theatre major).

Teaching Students Team-based Care

Dean Shortie McKinney gives an overview of Interprofessional Education (IPE) at UMass Lowell.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) at the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences simulates the real world of health care. By learning how to work effectively in teams with diverse disciplines, students graduate prepared to work in a team-based environment once they begin work in their respective fields.

Recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization, IPE has the potential to help:
  • Improve quality of patient care
  • Lower costs
  • Decrease length of stay
  • Reduce medical errors

Thanks to our wide range of health profession programs, we are uniquely qualified to deliver programs and courses that provide students with experience working across disciplines. In just one recent example, students from nursing, medical laboratory sciences, nutritional sciences, exercise physiology and public health worked as a team at Summit ElderCare in Lowell to provide quality care for residents.

Students at Summit ElderCare

Shalin Liu Scholarship Recipients for Academic Year '20 to '21

This year's Shalin Liu Scholarship was awarded to five students. Students from all disciplines in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences can apply for a Shalin Liu Scholarship. Check back in Spring 2021 for the application.

IPE Faculty Fellows Champions for Student Success

The IPE Fellows include a group of faculty representing a variety of programs across the College of Health Sciences. The faculty are champions for IPE advancement through: advocacy, curriculum changes and mentoring faculty and students. The following IPE Faculty Fellows increase awareness and knowledge for interprofessional opportunities in academic, research, and community settings:

Students for Interprofessional Education Club

Students for Interprofessional Education (SIPE) is an organization led by students from each of the majors in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences who are passionate about improving the future of patient care through interprofessional collaboration.

The main purpose of SIPE is to educate students across campus about the importance of interprofessional education (IPE). SIPE not only raises awareness about the IPE opportunities open to UML students on and off campus, but works closely with faculty, staff and local organizations interested in improving healthcare.

Each year, members of SIPE are an integral part of interprofessional case competitions, patient simulations and experiential-learning opportunities. Through joining SIPE, students are able to:

  • gain a greater understanding of the different roles on a healthcare team
  • practice their communication skills on a healthcare team
  • network with others in the healthcare field
  • become an active leader of IPE on campus
  • be considered for IPE-related scholarships

To join, send an email to umlSIPE@gmail.com.