Yasuyuki Nishihara

Interprofessional Education at Niigata University of Health and Welfare

Since its establishment, Niigata University of Health and Welfare has been actively involved in interprofessional education: Basic Seminars I and II (introductory programs for first-year students); basic lectures on health care and welfare (a core curriculum for students in all departments); and the Integrated General Seminar for fourth-year students. We herein report the signifi cance of the program and the educational achievements. The Integrated General Seminar was held in 2004 on a trial basis for the first fourth-year students and formally introduced in 2008. The number of students who attend the Integrated General Seminar is increasing: from 70 students in 2007 to 100 students in 2008. The seminar encourages students to develop specialized skills while recognizing the expertise of those from other departments and learning from them; they also learn to design and implement care and assessment plans for patients using disease and lifestyle models. Students learn the basic methods and procedures necessary to provide patients with care in collaboration with other health care professionals through simulations of multidisciplinary care.