Interprofessional Education and Collaboration for Geriatrics (IECG)

Provide an interdisciplinary geriatric experience for USC interprofessional student healthcare teams to include: Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Psychology, and Social Work students. The goal is for students to work in teams that include up to 3 students. An IP faculty mentor will facilitate Each IP team meeting, followed by a brief lecture on the fundamentals of geriatric care. Student teams will be paired with an older adult resident from one of the partnering community housing sites. This year, students will meet by phone and then transition to a virtual platform once per week for up to 30 minutes throughout the program. Students will utilize the Age-Friendly skills and assessment tools learned in the lectures and team meetings with their older adult partner during their weekly phone/virtual meetings. Students will then have an opportunity to meet in person with an older adult during session four. The program’s overarching goal is for students to work collectively across disciplines to learn how collaborative practice supports healthy aging.