Health science students collaborate in ‘A Night at the Round Tables’

“A Night at the Round Tables” provides interdepartmental collaboration to challenge students from a variety of fields to work through a case study as a team. The event, which began in spring 2013, simulates a real-world situation of health care professionals’ collective expertise.

“The students are excited to learn about the role of other health professionals and what this means for patients they will serve in the future,” said Mary Madill, assistant professor in the physician assistant program. “It is humbling for them to realize they don’t have all the answers. They start to understand they will be part of a team that includes the patient, their support system and the health care community, and it is this team that will facilitate change in the lives of patients and health care systems.”

Melanie Lowry, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, said it’s important for students to learn that they are just one piece of the puzzle.

“We want our students to know that every case is not going to centrally involve their disciplines,” she said. “So, learning to watch the process and learning that everything isn’t about them all the time is a great lesson.”

“In practice, we were all accustomed to being part of a health care team and wanted to translate that experience to the educational process,” Madill said. “It has been an excellent experience to be part of the faculty team. We all think with a shared language, but each person brings a unique perspective to the diagnostic and the educational process, which has resulted in a unique event that is beneficial to not only the students but also the faculty.”

Five faculty members from various departments and 50 students participated in the first event. For the fall 2016 event, the sixth time the event had been held, approximately 20 faculty members and 350 students participated from nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, professional counseling and speech therapy. Faculty members from dietetics, social work and education have also contributed to various cases.

“Together as a faculty group, we work out the basics of the case and the framework,” Madill said. “From there, each faculty member fills in the components that are specific to their skill set.”

Participants were broken into small groups of seven to 10 students — one student from each field — and worked through modules set up in Canvas, the University’s portal for online learning. This semester’s case featured a 15-year-old boy who had been recently placed in foster care after suspicion of abuse. As the night progressed, components of the case were unlocked and revealed new information to students, who gained more and more knowledge about the subject of the featured case.

Participants watched a video of a simulated interview with the patient, who was portrayed by senior theatre student Drew Holley. Joni Day, instructor in the communication sciences and disorders department, coached Holley on how to portray a speaker who is dysfluent. The patient was also present at the event and answered some questions from students.

“Having someone in person to play the role of the patient really adds a whole new level of reality to the situation for students,” Lowry said. “It is a concrete way to remind us all that the individuals we serve are more than just a diagnosis. Each of them is a person; someone’s son, daughter, mother or sister.”

Two students made a presentation at the event that outlined the responsibility of a mandated reporter, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines as “persons who are required to report suspected child maltreatment to an appropriate agency, such as child protective services, a law enforcement agency, or a state’s toll-free child abuse reporting hotline.”

“I loved that we highlighted an aspect of health care that we might not talk about enough, which is being a mandated reporter,” Lowry said. “And I loved that we highlighted a community resource, which is the White County Child Safety Center.”

As students worked through the case using the skills they’ve been learning in the classroom, they experienced a hands-on application of their knowledge and a real world perspective on collaborating with other health care professionals.

—Hannah Owens, staff writer