The Health Student Caucus at UBC Health recently hosted an engaging opportunity for health students to learn the value of interdisciplinary teamwork and collaborative practice. The Interprofessional Health Case Competition was open to all UBC students enrolled in a health program and was designed to bring together students from different health disciplines to work on a complex case study.

The initial idea for the competition came from Ariel Chiao, Health Student Caucus member and Nursing student, after an experience in a clinical placement where there was confusion about the scope and responsibilities of different healthcare roles. She and fellow caucus members and students Malalay Habib (Nursing) and Crystal McLeod (Medicine) developed and ran the competition.

“We wanted to create an event that would foster interprofessional health learning and decided to come up with a competition project that was aimed at bringing students together from different health disciplines to learn more about each other’s profession and to problem-solve as a team,” says Ariel. “We realized early on that more opportunities like this are needed before students enter the healthcare field, so that we are more well-rounded and have the foundation to communicate interprofessionally.”

Eight interdisciplinary teams of students—from audiology, dentistry, dietetics, medicine, mental health and addictions, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, ophthalmology, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social work, and respiratory therapy—received case studies and collaboratively prepared and presented their care plans and innovative solution to the underlying health issue in the case study. A panel of three health professionals assessed and provided feedback on the care plans and solutions, awarding prizes to the top three teams.

Through dedicated teamwork, our team was able to articulate our knowledge to provide patient-centered care through a bio-social-psychological lens.

The competition created an opportunity for students to participate in interprofessional learning by convening interdisciplinary teams and facilitating group engagement in a case study that enabled students to learn about each other’s professional roles and how to collectively navigate healthcare resources for optimal patient outcomes.

Kinesiology student Olivia Du says the competition was her first experience of a medical case study and she learned valuable skills.

“I enjoyed the interdisciplinary part of it very much,” says Olivia. “Through dedicated teamwork, our team was able to articulate our knowledge to provide patient-centered care through a bio-social-psychological lens. I gained great experience in acute care implementation since my primary background is in physio rehab, and I learned how to collaborate with students with other expertise.”

James Sader, Medicine student, agrees that the competition was a valuable experience, highlighting diverse aspects of what is required to care for a patient.

It honed our attention to what good healthcare should be: practical and evidence-based, patient-centered, and multidisciplinary.

“The competition allowed us to collaborate across healthcare disciplines to address a complex yet realistic scenario,” says James. “The case study was heavy, but after breaking it down and establishing priorities, we created a care plan that was realistic and manageable. The competition forced us to do research on ‘real-life’ applications of what we are learning in our healthcare programs. It honed our attention to what good healthcare should be: practical and evidence-based, patient-centered, and multidisciplinary.”

“I commend the Health Student Caucus for their exceptional work in developing and coordinating this competition,” says Carrie Krekoski, Practice Education Manager at UBC Health. “Their hard work and dedication have helped create an enriching and memorable experience for all the participants.”

Congratulations to the winning teams and all the students who participated in the competition.

First Place

• Michael Gong, Medicine
• Justin Ng, Occupational Therapy
• Seika Taniguchi, Medicine
• Yumi Wong, Nursing

Second Place

• Angel Chiang, Pharmacy
• Helen Hsiao, Medicine
• Panveet Kalsi, Dentistry
• Kendrew Wong, Medicine

Third Place

• Olivia Du, Kinesiology
• Curtis Leclerc, Medicine
• James Sader, Medicine

Competition Judges

• Mark Robertson, medical student
• Amanda Seeman, physical therapist, Krell Wellness
• Carol Straughan, registered nurse, London Health Sciences Centre

Planning Team

• Ariel Chiao, Nursing
• Malalay Habib, Nursing
• Crystal McLeod, Medicine

Learn more about the Health Student Caucus.

Posted April 17, 2023