Interprofessional Case Conference
By: Morgan Bunting
Find Your Voice in an Interprofessional Arena
The Annual Geriatric/Interprofessional Case Conference was held Thursday, October 27 and was orchestrated by Reba Cornman, Director of the Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program in the Graduate School. The case conference intermingles and engages students from all disciplines to discuss a very complex geriatric case. The goal is not only to devise a game plan to help the patient, but also to engage in an environment that is open and encouraging of different perspectives that often intertwine for the well-being of patients and their families.
At first, I was nervous to participate. I expected to face loads of medical jargon and to be out of my league within a clinical setting. I asked myself, “what could I, a social gerontologist, bring to this clinical table?” (imposter syndrome, anyone?). However, by the end of the event I felt more than capable of contributing to the discussion in a meaningful way and that my training prepared me to assess and communicate a complex case with an interprofessional team. Essentially, participating in this event boosted my confidence in myself, my training as a gerontologist, and reinforced why I do what I do.
UMB offers opportunities like this around the year and I strongly encourage you to take part, even if you feel out of your comfort zone. These opportunities will prepare you for what comes next. In relation to this case conference specifically, I assure you that interprofessional communication will be one skill you will be thankful to have in your tool belt. So seek out different opportunities and find your voice because you are not an imposter, you are here for a reason, and you are more than capable of speaking up.