Integrated assessment of a leadership course for premedical students: exploring the interprofessional education from selective collaboration with nursing students

PURPOSE: This evaluation study assessed the learning outcomes of a newly developed Leadership and Communication course for premedical students and explored the potential of interprofessional education through collaborative activities with nursing students. METHODS: To evaluate the learning outcomes of a leadership course involving 99 premedical students, we analyzed two distinct data sources. First, we reviewed the results of an anonymous course evaluation conducted by the university, with 98 students responding. Second, we analyzed 376 reflective notes submitted by 99 premedical students regarding four collaborative learning activities with 70 nursing students. After excluding unreliable or non-submitted reflective notes, a total of 376 reflective notes were included in the analysis. Textual analysis was performed using Voyant Tools, a web-based platform that enables rapid visualization and analysis of qualitative data. RESULTS: Course evaluation revealed positive response rates averaging 60-70% across all course components. However, the students requested improvements in the operational aspects of this first interdisciplinary course format involving students from different departments. Textual analysis of reflection reports identified 'communication' as the most frequently mentioned keyword, often associated with 'important.' Analysis revealed core IPE competency for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) in order of frequency: 'communication,' 'teams and teamwork,' 'roles and responsibilities,' and 'values and ethics.' Two specific activities-special lectures and hospital development plans-effectively encompassed all core IPE competency keywords. CONCLUSIONS: Simple textual analysis of student-submitted reflective journals combined with institutional course evaluation reviews enabled comprehensive and nuanced assessment of course outcomes. The integration of selective collaborative activities with nursing students within existing course structures proved to be a pragmatic alternative that simultaneously enhanced premedical students' learning outcomes in leadership and communication, mitigated implementation challenges inherent to comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) programs, and fostered deeper interprofessional understanding.