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Preparation by Faculty: A “pre-lab” is held before the Simulation for all facilitators, new or experienced. During the pre-lab, an overview of the Simulation is provided, and supplies for the assigned fictitious cultural group are distributed. An email is also sent a week prior to the Simulation for facilitators to familiarize themselves with their assigned fictitious culture.
Pre-Work for Students: None. Students are assigned to, and learn the characteristics of, two fictitious cultures, “alpha” and “beta,” during the Cross Cultural Simulation.
Targeted ASCO Graduate Attributes: PE4, PE5, PE6, PE7, CC12 Targeted IPEC Core Competencies: VE1, VE3, VE4, VE8
Lessons Learned in Planning and Implementing this Project: The Cross Cultural Simulation was added to the Optometry curriculum in 2014. Using feedback from the survey conducted at the end of the Simulation, the IPE Working Group is able to obtain insight, comments, and concerns from the student participants.
The survey results of the 2018 Cross Cultural Simulation revealed the following:
Ë 81.0% of students reported that the Simulation allowed them to experience what it might feel like trying to interact with another culture
Ë 84.0% of students reported that the Simulation allowed them to recognize potential cultural and individual differences that may characterize patients, populations, and the health care team
Ë 88.3% of students reported that the Simulation allowed them to recognize potential communication challenges they may face when interacting with culturally diverse patients, populations, or health care teams.
Student feedback also resulted in improvements to the Simulation activity. Survey comments from the Spring 2018 Simulation noted that the learning of the two fictitious cultures was confusing, and students were concerned with characteristics of the cultures, including gender identity and touching one another. The IPE Working Group was able to restructure and modify the directions of the Simulation for the Spring 2019 offering.
Exposing interprofessional groups of students to this Simulation gave them the opportunity to discuss the possible challenges in communication within a diverse healthcare population. The IPE Working Group will continue the Simulation in the spring of 2020, including reflecting on its importance to interprofessional education and collaborative learning.
Exemplar IPE Project Submitted by:
Alia Khalaf, OD
Assistant Professor
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – School of Optometry alia.khalaf@mcphs.edu
Reference: Sullivan KM, Jehle G, Carace N, Abel C, Morrill A, and Dunican K. IPE Initiatives to enhance student preparation for introductory pharmacy practice experiences. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (2018, Winter), pp. 9-10.
updated August 2022 ASCO IPECP Toolkit
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