title: Critical thinking and reflection exercises in a biochemistry course to improve prospective health professions students' attitudes toward physician-pharmacist collaboration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of performing critical-thinking and reflection assignments within interdisciplinary learning teams in a biochemistry course on pharmacy students' and prospective health professions students' collaboration scores.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmacy students and prospective medical, dental, and other health professions students enrolled in a sequence of 2 required biochemistry courses. They were randomly assigned to interdisciplinary learning teams in which they were required to complete case assignments, thinking and reflection exercises, and a team service-learning project.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students were asked to complete the Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Pharmacist Collaboration prior to the first course, following the first course, and following the second course. The physician-pharmacist collaboration scores of prospective health professions students increased significantly (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having prospective health professions students work in teams with pharmacy students to think and reflect in and outside the classroom improves their attitudes toward physician-pharmacist collaboration.
authors.affiliation: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, Illinois.
authors.forename: Lon J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Van Winkle
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cornell
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fjortoft
authors.forename: Bryan C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Bjork
authors.forename: Nalini
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chandar
authors.forename: Jacalyn M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Salle
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Viselli
authors.forename: Paulette
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burdick
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001671:Biochemistry; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010595:Pharmacists; D010820:Physicians; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking
keywords: biochemistry; dental students; empathy; health profession students; interdisciplinary education; interprofessional education; medical students; pharmacy students; service learning