Taking the Next Step in IPE Faculty Development: Creating an IPE Faculty Development Microcredential

Objectives:

• Discuss the journey from inception to implementation of an IPE microcredential faculty development program.
• Describe the content, assessment and outcomes for successful IPE faculty development.
• Generate ideas, opportunities and strategies for success in IPE faculty development at a learner's own institution.

Interprofessional education program success and sustainability require well trained faculty/preceptors able to effectively integrate IPE into the preclinical and clinical learning environments. Many faculty have not received formal training in IPE or team-based instruction. Faculty/Preceptor development is a vital resource in the development and sustainability of an institution’s IPE initiatives.

The Department of Interprofessional Education and Practice at the University of North Texas HSC introduced an IPE Faculty Certificate of Recognition in the fall of 2018. This six-session faculty development program included online prework to prepare faculty for six in-person interactive team- based sessions. Faculty/Preceptors participated in interprofessional teams from three partnering institutions. Learners were encouraged to work with one or more of their interprofessional classmates to begin developing a shared IPE activity idea that could be implemented post Certificate of Recognition. IPE activity ideas submitted by faculty were reviewed and approved by the IPEP Department. Once implemented with interprofessional student teams, assessed and presented on by the faculty at a state, national conference or through a scholarly publication, faculty were eligible to receive an additional IPE Certificate of Distinction.

This popular faculty development program produced three cohorts between the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019, generating fifty additional IPE trained faculty and clinician preceptors across three institutions and eleven health related fields. Nine faculty received the additional IPE Certificate of Distinction and seven new IPE student activities were implemented. Based on this success, the IPEP Department was encouraged to develop the institution's first public facing microcredential.

Microcredentials are competency-based, specialized certifications. They are a formalized way to verify, validate and attest that specific skills and or competencies have been achieved through a rigorous, meaningful and high quality training processes. Microcredentials are generally more narrowly focused and offered in shorter, more flexible timespans, than traditional degrees and certificates. An IPE microcredential was developed drawing off the lessons learned from previous iterations of the IPE Certificates of Recognition and Distinction. Composed of asynchronous online pre-work sessions and synchronous online team-based active learning sessions, the IPE microcredential was piloted in the spring of 2021 with fourteen faculty from three institutional partners.

IPEP Department leadership will share their IPE faculty/preceptor development journey from inception to evolution from a Certificate to an IPE Microcredential. Program content, structure, assessment, challenges, strategies for success, lessons learned and outcomes will be discussed. Attendees will have an opportunity in Zoom breakout rooms to experience examples of team-based activities used in the IPE microcredential and share and explore possible challenges and strategies for inclusion of IPE faculty development for their institution.

Seminar Outline:

• 10 Minutes: Introduction, History and Program Description
• 5 Minutes: Outcomes Discussion
• 15 Minute: Breakout Rooms
• 15 Minute: Breakout Rooms
• 10 Minute: Breakout Room Discussions Report Out
• 5 Minutes: Questions and Closing Comments