Name
Interprofessional Learning Through a Book Club
Authors

Miklos Fogarasi, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine
Rachel Schlak, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine

Date & Time
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 12:45 PM - 12:59 PM
Presentation Category
Curriculum & Assessment
Presentation Tag(s)
Student Presenter
Description

Purpose
Cancer survivorship is an increasingly critical aspect of healthcare that is often underrepresented in medical education. Addressing this gap, we designed an interprofessional education (IPE) event in the form of a narrative-based book club to explore survivorship through multiple domains of care.

Methods
An interprofessional book club was organized around Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. A memoir that captures her lived experience as a cancer survivor. Participants included students and faculty from medicine, nursing, physician assistant and social work programs, pre-assigned into interprofessional groups. Discussion focused on four themes identified in the book: caregiver burden versus patient needs, adolescents and young adults with cancer, transitioning back to wellness, and issues of survivorship. The groups were tasked to identify challenges within these domains and propose interprofessional solutions. The session was designed to meet the IPE learning objectives Roles and Responsibilities and Teams and Teamwork.

Results
Out of 19 attendees, 5 students and 3 faculty completed a post-session survey. All respondents agreed/strongly agreed that the discussion deepened their understanding of the impact of cancer on patients and their communities and that the discussion helped them understand the importance of interprofessional healthcare education and collaborative practice when working with survivors. Verbal feedback emphasized the utility of this narrative reflection in cultivating empathy and enhancing appreciation for interprofessional roles among participants.

Conclusion
This low-resource, easily replicable format illustrates how a typical narrative-based book club can successfully facilitate interprofessional learning around survivorship—an often-overlooked aspect of cancer care. The session promoted empathy, holistic thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, possibly offering a template for future IPE initiatives on chronic illness care.