title: Bringing interdisciplinary and multicultural team building to health care education: the downstate team-building initiative.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of the Downstate Team-Building Initiative (DTBI), a model multicultural and interdisciplinary health care team-building program for health professions students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 65 students representing seven health disciplines participated in DTBI's first three years (one cohort per year since implementation). During the 18-session curriculum, students self-evaluated their group's progress through Tuckman's four team-development stages (FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, PERFORMING) on an 11-point scale. Students completed matched pre- and postintervention program evaluations assessing five variables: interdisciplinary understanding, interdisciplinary attitudes, teamwork skills, multicultural skills, and team atmosphere. After participation, students completed narrative follow-up questionnaires investigating impact one and two years after program completion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each year's team development curve followed a similar logarithmic trajectory. Cohort 1 remained in team development stage 3 (NORMING) while Cohorts 2 and 3 advanced into the final stage-PERFORMING. A total of 34 matched pre- and postintervention evaluations showed significant change in all major variables: Team atmosphere and group teamwork skills improved most (48% and 44%, respectively). Interdisciplinary understanding improved 42%. Individual multicultural skills (defined by ability to address racism, homophobia, and sexism) started at the highest baseline and improved the least (13%). Group multicultural skills improved 36%. Of 23 responses to the follow-up surveys, 22 (96%) stated DTBI was a meaningful educational experience applicable to their current clinical surroundings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DTBI successfully united students across health discipline, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, gender, and sexual orientation into functioning teams. The model represents an effective approach to teaching health care team building and demonstrates benefits in both preclinical and clinical years of training.
authors.affiliation: Department of OB/GYN, New York University, 462-1st Ave, Office 9E2, New York, NY 10002, USA.
authors.forename: Joanie Mayer
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lugassy
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Freida
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jeanty
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Sadie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Joann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cramer
mesh_terms: D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D009518:New York; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D011361:Professional Competence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012655:Self-Evaluation Programs; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires