Health professions students' perceptions of their IPE program: Potential barriers to student engagement with IPE goals

BACKGROUND: Extensive evaluative efforts are underway to explore nuances of interprofessional education (IPE). Few studies, however, have utilized methodology that includes multiple interviews with students of various health disciplines, thereby potentially concealing factors that may be impacting students' attitudes and perceptions of IPE. By focusing on the students' perspectives, this case study explores potential barriers and facilitators to students' engagement with their IPE program. METHODS: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students from six health disciplines at the ends of years 1 and 2 of their IPE program. Data were analyzed utilizing multistep coding processes to identify patterns of students' perceptions and attitudes. FINDINGS: Elements that were internal and external to the IPE program (e.g., assignments, time constraints, lack of accountability, anticipatory socialization, and insufficient professional identity formation) were found to impact students' perceptions of the program and possibly their engagement with IPE goals. CONCLUSIONS: This case study sheds new light on how factors related to an IPE program's structure and implementation, as well as factors outside the program, may affect students' perceptions of IPE and perhaps even their willingness and ability to engage in interprofessionalism.