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August 19, 2015

This post is written by two of our Baycrest Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (LRI) summer interns, as part of a reflective series. Read about the interns’ experiences on Twitter by following #LRIinternship2015

Interprofessionalism is defined as two or more individuals from different disciplines working collaboratively and communicating with each other. Early in our healthcare education, we are starting to realize the impact of interprofessionalism on not only patient care and quality of health outcomes, but also enhancement of job satisfaction and productivity. 

Over the past 6 weeks, as Baycrest CLRI 2015 Summer Interns, we have had the opportunity to work with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Reel Comfort Program in developing a short documentary about the field of aging. As students in healthcare, we often get stuck in concrete forms of thinking, such as critical appraisal of research and evidenced-based clinical practice. Art, which is a free form of expression, stretched many of us to step outside of our comfort zone. As a group of ten interprofessional summer student interns, along with our mentor Melissa Tafler, an Interprofessional Arts-Based Learning Specialist with the Baycrest LRI, we were encouraged to think outside of the box, to be creative and to reflect on our encounters with long-term care residents and staff.

Two key benefits of this interprofessional learning experience were the ability to grow from the unique knowledge, skills, and attitudes contributed by interns from diverse health professions and to discover how our collaborative efforts supported and enhanced the filming experience. In the making of our short film, we also interacted with various healthcare professionals, gaining insight into their dedication to excellence in the care of the elderly through practice, research and education. This arts-based learning project was not only an impactful method of expression for us, but also exemplifies true success in interprofessional collaboration within healthcare.


Our five-minute documentary recently premiered at the Baycrest CLRI-RRI 2015 Internship Showcase in August. As we looked around the room, we sensed the same delight and admiration from the audience as we felt ourselves. This film enabled us to not only share our passion for geriatrics, but also to excite others about the potential for positive change in the field of aging in the years to come! Most importantly, we came to realize that the future of our healthcare system will require important changes to support our aging population. Our message was heard and appreciated, and we hope that it will continue to be shared!

Please take a moment to watch this short documentary. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

—Baycrest CLRI 2015 Summer Interns, Tina Felfeli, M.D. Candidate Class of 2019, University of Toronto; Noam Berlin, M.D. Candidate Class of 2017, University of Toronto

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