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When he isn鈥檛 helping patients at his dermatology clinic, George Christodoulou, MDCM, Faculty Lecturer at the Department of Medicine, volunteers his time by facilitating interprofessional education courses at the听Office of Interprofessional Education (OIPE), for the next generation of healthcare professionals.听听

Dr. Christodoulou was a learner himself when he started out as a facilitator within the听OIPE鈥檚 Interprofessional Education (IPE) curriculum. He signed up during his dermatology residency in 2017 and has been involved ever since.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice activity that makes you feel like you鈥檙e giving back and adds a bit of variety into what you鈥檙e doing,鈥� he says.听听

Led by the OIPE, the four-course IPE curriculum brings learners in medicine, nursing, genetic counselling, dentistry, dietetics, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology together in an active learning experience.听Their activities include online group work and discussions enabling shared decision-making, individual reading and assignments, and a simulated patient- or family-centred care scenario.听听

The OIPE relies on more than 500听academic and clinical听faculty members, as well as health professionals at 91社区鈥檚 affiliated healthcare institutions, to facilitate the courses.听听

A flexible, accredited way of giving back听

Dr. Christodoulou appreciates the support he receives from the OIPE as a facilitator 鈥� from the flexibility that accommodates his clinical schedule to the refresher Faculty Development training offered to all facilitators each year.听听

Dianne Bateman, PhD, the OIPE鈥檚 Director of Faculty Development for Interprofessional Education, says this training 鈥渞eacquaints [facilitators] with the literature on conflict resolution and, in particular, on the conflict resolution strategies often needed on interprofessional care teams鈥�.听听

This training, alongside facilitating courses, also helps them advance their own professional development while contributing to the education of future healthcare professionals, she adds.听听听

Another key attraction is that volunteers can now earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for facilitating IPEA 503: Managing Interprofessional Conflict. In addition, taking the OIPE鈥檚 Faculty Development training each year allows facilitators to earn professional development credits.听

鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely something that鈥檚 helpful for anyone involved,鈥� says Dr. Christodoulou. 鈥淭he training also makes your life a lot easier in preparation the course itself and ensures you have it fresh in your mind. It answers a lot of questions that you may have and gives them context as well.鈥澨�

Each year, seasoned facilitators return to teach the interprofessional curriculum, while others get involved for the first time. New facilitators are usually paired with someone who has taught courses in the curriculum previously.听听

Cynthia Perlman, M.Ed., OT(C), erg., Director of the OIPE and Assistant Professor at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, says this way of pairing facilitators 鈥渕odels interprofessional collaboration for our students鈥�.听

鈥淧aired facilitators share personal experiences and lessons learned from their own clinical practices during the debriefing process, thereby highlighting the implementation of IPE competencies.鈥�

An introduction to problem-solving in the clinical environment听

Dr. Christodoulou facilitates IPEA 502: Patient-Centred Care in Action (a simulation activity) and IPEA 503: Managing Interprofessional Conflict (a blended learning activity).听听

In IPEA 502, he and other facilitators guide learners as they participate in a simulation of a situational conflict in the context of a clinical case that involves members of multiple health professions.听听听

鈥淵ou鈥檙e meeting different family members, you鈥檙e trying to provide conflict resolution and that helps empathize with everyone鈥檚 situation,鈥� Dr. Christodoulou explains. 鈥淵ou realize that a clinical case is not just related to the patient, although they are the primary focus. It鈥檚 nice to be exposed to the importance of that and finding ways to manage these situations collaboratively.鈥澨�

In IPEA 503, learners gain the skills to resolve conflict or disagreement collaboratively and intentionally in interprofessional teams through individual assignments, online activities and small group discussions.听听

鈥淭here is no single medical specialty or setting that doesn鈥檛 have some form of conflict,鈥� Dr. Christodoulou says. 鈥淚t helps reframe and reteach you the basics of conflict, as opposed to living them in the moment and being overcome by your 鈥榟ot brain鈥�. You get to think about the 鈥榗old-brained鈥� aspects of conflict in a bit more of a literal sense.鈥澨�

As a dermatologist who works in an outpatient clinic, Dr. Christodoulou appreciates the exposure facilitating gives him to best practices of interprofessional care.听听

听鈥淎s a facilitator, you also have to learn a little more about it yourself, so that you can effectively teach it while having the necessary context,鈥� he says.听听

Helping the next generation make leaps听

Dr. Christodoulou will be facilitating again in Winter 2024, when IPEA 502 and IPEA 503 will next be offered to learners in Montreal and at Campus Outaouais.听听

鈥淚t adds variety to your clinical practice, brings you back to the basics, and drills down the basic concepts of the situations that you are potentially exposed to on a day-to-day basis,鈥� he says.听听

鈥淚t makes you feel good that you鈥檙e helping the next generation, who have yet to reach this point in their careers, allowing you to teach them and give them some context. Hopefully, that gives them a push or leap you might not have received during your training.鈥澨�

Interested in joining the OIPE鈥檚 growing group of facilitators? Contact the听Office of Interprofessional Education听to learn more about upcoming opportunities.