Since its launch in 2016, the Integrated Curriculum at UBC Health has played a vital role in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Each fall, UBC Health coordinates this transformative learning experience on behalf of the health professional programs at UBC. This series of interprofessional workshops and online modules helps equip students with the team-based competencies essential for delivering effective, coordinated, patient-centred care. The curriculum fosters team-based collaboration across health disciplines in areas such as health informatics, Indigenous cultural safety, and substance use.

In 2024, the Integrated Curriculum expanded its reach and deepened its impact by reaching students in programs distributed at five different sites across BC. Over 2,400 students from 15 health professional programs participated in the Integrated Curriculum workshops this year, led by 126 facilitators, including 53 patient, Indigenous and community educators - a 33% growth in participation over the past five years.

 “I very much enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with peers within other health disciplines. This served as a preview into what the future in the healthcare industry may look like,” said one student participant.

In-person workshops were delivered across five UBC sites: Vancouver, Surrey, Kelowna, Victoria, and Prince George. A record-breaking day occurred on October 18, when over 1,000 students participated simultaneously in the Indigenous Cultural Safety workshops across all five UBC sites, underscoring the university’s commitment to culturally informed and inclusive healthcare education. 

This year, UBC Health also integrated Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into the curriculum. Collaborating with CTLT and the Centre for Accessibility through its participation in the UDL Fellows program, the team conducted a comprehensive needs assessment to enhance accessibility and inclusivity. These efforts will inform future curriculum updates, ensuring all students and facilitators are supported in their learning journeys. 

Gratitude for Collaboration 

“Organizing these workshops is quite an undertaking, and involves commitment from partners across the university” said Michelle Hamilton, Education Program Manager at UBC Health, who manages this complex program with Jenny Li, Education Program Assistant. Michelle acknowledges the important contributions of the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health (CEIH), Integrated Curriculum Implementation Group (ICIG), Scheduling Services, the Faculty of Medicine resource coordination team, MedIT, and the staff and faculty across health professional programs. “The CEIH’s partnership with UBC Health is instrumental in delivering an impactful and expanded curriculum that includes Indigenous cultural safety training, ensuring equitable and culturally safe care for the next generation of health professionals,” emphasized Michelle.

As the Integrated Curriculum continues to grow, UBC Health remains committed to fostering collaboration and innovation in healthcare education. The milestones achieved this year set a strong foundation for further progress in preparing students to address the complex challenges of healthcare through interprofessional teamwork.