Buffalo, NY - When 57 graduate students from Canisius University's Physician Assistant (PA) Studies and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs gathered for a three-hour interprofessional assessment day, they discovered just how much their future professions have in common - and how much they can learn from one another.
The session brought together 28 PA students and 29 clinical mental health counseling students to conduct simulated patient visits, exchange feedback and explore how their disciplines intersect in real-world patient care.
"Our differences in assessments opened our eyes to the understanding and importance of both our approaches and the need to collaborate to help patients," said Sam Telaak, a second-year graduate student in clinical mental health counseling. "It was a fantastic experience."
Students overwhelmingly reported positive outcomes from the interprofessional assessment day. In post-event surveys, 100 percent agreed that the session was a unique learning experience and should be offered again in future semesters. Nearly all shared that they gained a better understanding of each other's roles.
"We had each learner demonstrate how they would conduct a visit with a new patient or client, and concluded with a reflection on what they learned from each other," noted Aimee Larson, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, chair and director of the PA Studies program. "Students shared that they now feel more secure referring to each other and better understand how their professions can work together to support patients."
"Our interdepartmental partnership allowed us to leverage each other's strengths to provide a new learning opportunity for students," added Tikana Truitt, PhD, assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling. "Working collaboratively has been a rewarding experience and seeing students connect across disciplines with such enthusiasm highlights the significance of this kind of interprofessional learning."
Truitt and Larson jointly planned the interprofessional assessment day. The event was co-facilitated by Audrey Smith, clinical assistant professor of PA studies, and Sarah Boone, adjunct professor of counseling and human services.
The Department of Counseling and Human Services at Canisius University is recognized for its excellence in preparing compassionate, skilled and ethical counseling professionals who make a difference in their communities and the counseling profession. The department administers graduate programs in mental health counseling and school counseling.
The Physician Assistant Studies program is recognized by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) as having been granted Accreditation-Continued status, which is granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. The Canisius program prepares students for advanced clinical practice with a strong focus on community engagement, ethical patient care, and leadership in diverse healthcare settings.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
