Benjamin Jolley ‘26O&P never considered research would become a part of his career. Now, he’s beginning to rethink that position.
Jolley recently won first prize at the New Jersey American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (NJAAOP) conference in the student poster division for his study on “Enhancing Clinical Interprofessional Competence of Salus Healthcare Students through an Immersion-Level Interprofessional Education Experience,” which he co-authored with Virginia Muthard, CPO/L, FAAOP, assistant professor in the Orthotics & Prosthetics (O&P) department, Salus at Drexel University.
“I was surprised, honored, and excited,” said Jolley. “The presentations given by my colleagues from Salus/Drexel, along with those by the students of the University of Hartford’s O&P program were very thorough and so well done. I did not anticipate winning something like this during my first go around. I had never performed research at this level before and I certainly never expected it to be recognized at one of the largest AAOP meetings in the country.”
The other students presenting posters with original research at the conference included Carly Hampton, Danielle Davis, and Logan Tonini, all ‘26O&P.
Jacalyn Harris, MPO, CPO/L, an instructor in the O&P department at Salus/Drexel, expressed her admiration for the initiative and work ethic the O&P students demonstrated on the project, noting that their research was conducted outside of regular coursework. She added that the O&P program is looking to expand these types of research opportunities for future cohorts based on the success of these four students.
The purpose of Jolley’s study was to observe the effects that an Interprofessional Education (IPE) experience for Salus/Drexel O&P, Physician Assistant (PA) Studies, and Occupational Therapy (OT) students’ education had on their confidence and understanding of roles within an interprofessional team.
This is familiar territory for Jolley. He is one of the first handful of Salus/Drexel students to take advantage of the entry-level Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCPe) program, a free, co-curricular, micro-credential badge program open to all 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 the practice competencies required for collaborative care. These competencies include attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behavior.
Jolley’s research evidence indicated that the addition of an IPE experience in the University’s PA, O&P, and OT students’ education had a positive impact on their confidence and understanding of the roles and communication techniques necessary to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team. The additional preparedness and positive attitudes toward interprofessional learning these students have gained will ultimately serve to benefit their patients when they become practitioners.
“Ben really exemplifies the inter-professionalism that was represented in this project,” said Harris. “And we are proud to showcase these opportunities to our profession and other O&P programs who attended this conference.”