Second-year students from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) participated in a day-long, joint Interprofessional Education (IPE) medical simulation session on Friday, February 11, 2022, with students from Wallace Community College Dothan (WCCD) and Troy University Dothan. The event was held in the Health Sciences Simulation Center located inside the Heersink Family Health Science Building on the Wallace Campus in Dothan.

During the session, students from each institution worked together to care for a standardized patient, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities each profession has in patient care.

This session is part of an ongoing series of collaborative events between WCCD nursing students, ACOM medical students, and Troy University Dothan nursing and social work students. The program is designed to underscore the value of team-based healthcare. The students were placed in interprofessional groups to encourage collaborative teamwork and problem-solving. The students participated in breakout sessions for a team-building exercise, followed by a case study segment in which each team member was assigned specific roles.

“Wallace is pleased to host this Interprofessional education simulation,” said Dr. Jacqueline Spivey, WCCD Division Director, Associate Degree Nursing. “This simulation allows different members of the healthcare team to communicate with each other to benefit the patient outcomes as well as the healthcare team members cooperative care. This simulation does benefit the students by preparing them for the world outside of the classroom. We are proud to once again partner with ACOM and Troy. As always, it is such an exciting day to see how the groups interact in such a collegial manner to enhance quality patient care.”

“Interprofessional education is experiential learning at its finest, revealing medical team management through experiencing each medical person’s role in healthcare,” said John T. Giannini Jr., MD, ACOM Associate Professor of Internal Medicine/Director of Simulation.

“The Troy University Dothan Campus students have participated in this event for several years now and truly enjoy the experience,” says Rachel Walker, lecturer, Troy Social Work department. “For many students, it is their first time interacting with multiple disciplines. We appreciate the partnership TROY has with Wallace Community College and Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and look forward to many more years of continued, mutual support for our students and institutions.”