From 2026, the College of Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will roll out a new compulsory, College-wide module for first-year students titled ‘Becoming a Healthcare Professional’.
This initiative follows the success of a six-week Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) pilot study pioneered by the College’s IPECP lead, Dr Serela Ramklass. She explained that IPECP occurs when two or more disciplines learn with, from, and about each other to improve healthcare outcomes for patients and communities.
The pilot cohort included 590 first-year students from various Disciplines: MBChB (300), Audiology (38), Speech-Language Therapy (38), Physiotherapy (68), Pharmacy (126), and Nursing (20). Learning strategies included: case studies of real-world healthcare scenarios requiring interprofessional collaboration; video-based learning resources; and facilitated group discussions guided by structured questioning and reflection. Students participated in small group sessions designed for optimal engagement and submitted a 500-word reflective journal after each session.
Ramklass noted that a survey assessing student preparedness for IPECP was conducted prior to the programme to guide its design. An online tool was developed to evaluate both student and staff experiences of the pilot, and the feedback will inform the content of the new ‘Becoming a Healthcare Professional’ module.
“Working alternately online and in person, the facilitator-led interprofessional groups arrived at innovative solutions to influence the well-being of individuals and communities. The active learning design combined blended learning, a flipped classroom approach and facilitated small-group discussions to highlight the value of engaging varied perspectives from multiple professions in addressing problems in healthcare,” said Ramklass.
In addition to support from the College Management Committee (CMC), key implementation milestones included stakeholder engagement to secure participation; curriculum development with a content team; creation of a MOODLE page; IT and audio-visual technical support; facilitator recruitment and training on the learner management system; and weekly programme briefings. Planning also involved co-ordinating students’ return transport from the Medical School and Howard College campuses, and securing large venues on each campus to accommodate small-group learning.
The students reported that the face-to-face sessions held in the Medical School’s Exam Hall were particularly beneficial. They noted that the IPECP experience aligned well with the Department of Health’s ongoing emphasis on holistic patient care, where interprofessional collaboration is essential.
Ramklass said the pilot signalled a positive shift in health professional education – particularly towards a more patient-centred approach to primary healthcare and health equity in South Africa.
