Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Badge Program

Juliette Baek ‘26OD was exposed early to optometry. When she was in eighth grade, she took advantage of her first summer job opportunity, which was putting labels on the paper charts of her parents’ growing optometry practice. 

As she progressed through school, Baek spent summers as a receptionist and technician at the practice. And, she was always observing.  

“I loved the role my dad played in the lives of people in our community. Over the years I noticed how far some patients were willing to travel just to keep their annual appointments with him,” said Baek, originally from Gaithersburg, Maryland, who earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in studio art from Hollins University in Hollins, Virginia. “He showed me that beyond the role of a good clinician was the ability to connect with and encourage patients in the parts of their lives they share from their exam chair.” 

When she arrived at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Salus at Drexel University, Baek continued looking for opportunities to advance her education. And that’s when she discovered the entry-level Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCPe) program, a free, co-curricular, microcredential badge program open to students in all of the University’s professional programs.  

Salus/Drexel developed and offers the IPCPe program as a professional development opportunity for students to acquire and practice competencies required for collaborative care. These include attitudes, knowledge, skills and behaviors.  

“I saw this program as a unique opportunity that Salus could offer as a multiprofessional University,” said Baek. “Seeing that this was put together by some of my former and current (Doctor of) Optometry professors, I felt that this would be a good investment of my time to learn from experienced healthcare educators who are well-versed in building strong, interprofessional relationships.” 

Students who successfully complete the program earn four badges — one for each of the four competencies that the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) has identified as comprising interprofessional care — plus a fifth culminating badge. The four IPEC competencies are Values and Ethics, Roles and Responsibilities, Communication, and Teams and Teamwork. Each is defined by multiple sub-competencies.  

Four Salus/Drexel students recently earned the badges. In addition to Baek, they include Merna Zaklama ‘25AUD; Alexander Buitron-Zavala ‘27OD; and Benjamin Jolley ‘26O&P. 

For Jolley, he originally looked at the IPCPe program as something that might enhance his resume. But he quickly discovered that it was more than that.  

“I ended up really enjoying the content of the first course and found that it would actually be useful in the real world, so I decided to stick with it,” said Jolley, originally from Ocean Pines, Maryland, who earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology from the University of Maryland in College Park. “I’m very happy I did because not only did I get to make friends with the faculty and other students, but I gained valuable insight on the importance of collaborative care and the impact that early exposure may have on the success of students entering the healthcare workforce.” 

Because IPCPe is a co-curricular program, there are no credits and no grades. Instead, in a series of four Interprofessional Learning Activities (IPLAs), students are introduced to the IPEC Competencies and sub-competencies. Interactive learning utilizes presentations, roleplaying, discussion and debriefing with trained faculty facilitators, and structured reflection. 

Both Baek and Jolley recommend the program to their classmates. Jolley, who will be completing the didactic portion of the Orthotics and Prosthetics(O&P) program in the fall and entering his first residency at the beginning of January 2025, said many individual programs do not offer the level of immersion and exposure to other professions in the way that the IPCPe program does.  

“So it gives you the chance to stand out among your peers,” he said. “In addition to this, the microcredential badge that is earned through completion of the course is something that will set you apart when entering the job market. This distinction could make the difference between you and another qualified candidate, and the experience you gain through the program will help you ensure that your patient receives the best care possible.” 

Baek added that she believes effective communication and active listening are the most important skills that can be built as a healthcare provider and the IPCPe program helped her improve in those areas.  

“This voluntary program attracted other self-motivated students who helped create a safe and respectful environment to be able to practice these skills and gain valuable feedback,” she said. “Over the course of four sessions, the instructors touched on many different aspects of communication, including body language and clothing style, and verbal and written communication between doctor and patient and between specialties.” 

 The IPCPe program is administered through the Academic Affairs Division of Global, Interprofessional, and Specialized Programming (GISP).