Molly Rose, Co-Director of JCIPE, was chosen to attend "Advancing the Future of Healthcare Through Learning: A Certificate Course for Health Professionals" on June 11-15, 2007 at the University of Toronto. This 40-hour certificate course was first implemented by the University’s Office of Interprofessional Education in 2005 through a CanMEDS research and development grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

The course was aimed at developing academic leaders in interprofessional education (IPE) who will obtain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to teach students and fellow colleagues the art and science of working collaboratively for patient-centered care.

Fifty participants attended from coast to coast of Canada. Physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists, social workers, speech and language therapists, nutritionists, and respiratory therapists attended. Rose was the only non-Canadian participant.

The course consisted of five modules:

• Module 1: Professional and collaborator role; review of IPE theory
• Module 2: Collaborative teams; group development; dealing with conflict (including didactic, experiential, and interpersonal interactions)
• Module 3: Collaborative teams and facilitation skills; interprofessional team dynamics
• Module 4: Assessment and evaluation; change management
• Module 5: Putting it altogether

The course was extremely intensive and focused on the knowledge and skills base and the theory related to interprofessional education. A mix of didactic and simulations/exercises served as powerful teaching/learning tools. Many aspects of the course can be translated to the Jefferson community through Jefferson InterProfessional Education Center (JCIPE).