Photo by Matt Schorr
Lechaun Clayton, MHS is pictured with the Emswiller People’s Choice Award – Certificate of Excellence.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. On Feb. 6, Leshaun Clayton, MHS was presented with the Emswiller People’s Choice Award – Certificate of Excellence while attending the Fourth Annual Emswiller Interprofessional Symposium hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. The second-year medical student received the award based on audience perceptions of poster aesthetic, project content and verbal presentation of information. Leshaun presented on behalf of the Meharry-Vanderbilt interprofessional Education (IPE) Faculty Collaborative and their recent student project.
In an effort to create new avenues for interprofessional education, the Alliance IPE Faculty Collaborative designed a program that not only leveraged the strengths of inter-institutional partnerships, but also focused on improving the health of local communities. The student project, piloted in the 2014-15 school year, provided 30 students from 10 professions and five institutions with the opportunity to enhance team-based skills while collaborating with nonprofit organizations to address community-defined needs.
Leshaun participated in the pilot and wanted to share her experiences with others interested in IPE. She worked with Alliance Coordinator Chante Stubbs, MPH, CPH and IPE Faculty to create a poster that embodied the collaborative spirit of the project and briefly outlined her team’s process and outcomes.
While presenting the poster, Clayton was also able to give insight into student perceptions and changes in attitude that occur as a result of participating in community based IPE initiatives. “Interprofessional care is care that considers the patient as a whole,” Clayton explained, “and steps must be taken to improve professional bonds and communication between the diverse healthcare fields.”
“Our poster was well-received,” she said of the experience. “This was my first interprofessional symposium and definitely will not be my last.”
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University and the communities they serve.