MEDEV

School of Medical Sciences Education Development

Learning together to work together

The European Interprofessional Education Network in health and social care (EIPEN) partners, led by the Academy Subject Centre for Health Sciences and Practice, hosted a 3 day conference for over 250 international delegates at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.

The conference was oversubscribed with representatives from Europe, Asia, Australasia, America and Canada. Participants enjoyed a very warm welcome to Krakow by the Rector and the Dean of the Medical Faculty, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Professor Emilia Kolarzyk and Professor Catherine Geissler, on behalf of the EIPEN team and the hosts.

There was unparalleled hospitality throughout the conference, with guided tours and conference dinner (complete with jousting knights) in Wawel Castle, state of the art facilities at the Auditorium Maximum, receptions in the oldest University buildings (Collegium Medicum and Collegium Maius), Organ Concert in the Church of the Virgin Mary followed by a surprise opportunity for a starlight tour of the old town by horse drawn cab.

The keynotes were universally praised. Professor Walter Lorenz (Free University of Bolzano, Italy) brought delegates up to date with European developments and interprofessional education, while Professor John Gilbert (University of British Columbia, Canada) broadened this to an international context. Sari Ponzer, with qualifications in nursing and medicine, (Professor of Orthopaedics, Karolinska Insitutet, Sweden), presented a unique view of interprofessional education and teamwork in clinical practice from the perspective of Chair of the Programme Committee for the Medical Programme. Finally Professor Steen Wackerhausen (Aarhus University, Denmark) used a metaphor of the daily thinking of a milk cow to pose a philosophical challenge reflection as transformation. Professor Hugh Barr and Dr Marion Helme, on behalf of the EIPEN partners, broke the ice on day 1 with an inclusive interactive introduction in which delegates got to find out a little about each other.

There were six parallel strands for refereed papers and workshops and over 60 posters (on themes such as partnership, pedagogy, practice and policy) presented by participants.

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