Pathways in Health: Professional Meet and Greet Exploration - an Innovative Pilot Interprofessional Opportunity for Undergraduate Pre-health Learners

Exposing undergraduate pre-health students to the breadth of health professions and core IPE competencies is important as professional identities solidify within weeks of beginning their professional program. This proposal describes an innovative pilot for undergraduate pre-health learners across eight programs and three university campuses.Goals, objectives, and purpose: Key learning goals included: 1) Explore the role, responsibilities, and scope of practice of multiple health professions; 2) Improve and practice skills in building rapport and relationships with health professionals through active listening and thoughtful inquiry; 3) Develop and expand peer networks across disciplines through interactions with a diverse group of students. This event aimed to reduce inequities in access and exposure to health professionals while introducing students to diverse health-related careers.Methods/Methodology: 203 undergraduate student attendees and 34 health professionals participated in the event. Students were recruited from various programs including public health, health sciences, community social change, engineering, kinesiology, as well as required for two classes (a pre-health learning community and an undergraduate pre-pharmacy class). Post-attendance surveys and additional open-ended questions were administered.Results/Findings: Forty-nine students completed the post-event survey. Respondents were primarily first (49%) and second (29%) year students. Students reported exposure to previously unknown health professions (84%), novel interactions with new professions (96%), better understanding of professionals’ roles and responsibilities (92%), learning about cross-professional collaboration (90%), and expanded professional networks (67%). Eighty-eight percent of students felt the event positively contributed to their professional development and would recommend it to peers. Qualitative comments reinforced these positive findings, highlighting many "aha" moments about career diversity and team collaboration.Conclusions, implications, and/or curiosities: The event was meaningful and achieved stated learning goals. It served as an effective model for exposing undergraduate students to core IPE competencies and expanded their knowledge of healthcare careers.