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Students interpret art to improve clinical skills

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IPE teams interpret art at the Ackland

UNC Medical students were joined by 53 of their health professions colleagues from nursing, public health, social work, nutrition, physical and occupational therapy to comment on art and improve their observation skills. Students made connections between what is currently happening in health policy; issues of homelessness and struggle, using artistic interpretation and participating in an online game. The program was offered as part of the School of Medicine’s intensive integration course and built upon an IPE program offered through the Division of Geriatrics to 10 different disciplines under a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Dr. Jonathan Oberlander, Professor of Social Medicine at UNC provided the introductory lecture which allowed student to experience the complexities of navigating the affordable care act and the implications this has for healthcare access. Following this, students were given written prompts emphasizing geriatrics, poverty, and health including mental health to guide their interpretation of more than 100 works of art on display at the Ackland Museum. Finally, students had the option to play the Caring with Compassion game from the University of Michigan Medical School. This game is geared towards better understanding and addressing the needs of people with homelessness using IPE teams.