Fostering Interprofessionalism Through Experiential Learning: A Prosection Lab for Clinical Laboratory Science Students

Abstract

Background: Interprofessional collaboration between clinical laboratory scientists and pathologists’ assistants is important when developing a strong supportive network for the medical field. These professions work closely together in the daily clinical setting; however, in the academic setting, the education delivered through these individual programs occurs separately without interdisciplinary contact. Building an interdisciplinary foundation or partnership between these two programs early in a student’s academic preparation will cement future professionalism in the workplace as well as provide a deeper understanding of each other’s disciplines and professional practice and, in this case, of the intricacies of anatomy through a prosection experience.

Methods: The goal of the interprofessional experience was to improve the understanding of anatomy for the undergraduate Clinical Laboratory Science student population (n=19) through a cadaver-based prosection experience led by the Pathologists’ Assistant faculty at Wayne State University. After the prosection, each student wrote a post-activity reflection, which was collected and analyzed.

Results: The students’ written post-activity reflections revealed they were highly satisfied with the experience and believed that cadaver-based learning not only increased their knowledge of content matter, but also their understanding of a different health profession.

Conclusion: The use of a cadaver-based teaching strategy that integrates anatomy to achieve relevant laboratory outcomes in both clinical laboratory science and pathology can provide an optimal learning experience to solidify the bond between these two laboratory professions.