June 14, 2022
Meet Emma Hintz, a recent graduate of the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Scholars Program
As a doctor of physical therapy student, Emma Hintz became interested in interprofessional activities as a way to understand the roles of other members on the care team.
“Each IPE opportunity I participated in was unique and offered something new to learn and take into practice,” Hintz said. “Engaging in interprofessional activities helps to introduce a variety of perspectives that are helpful in making decisions about how health care providers can best serve patients in their care.”
Hintz says she most enjoyed being able to meet other health professions students throughout the course of each of her interprofessional experiences.
“I love hearing about the passion that other students have for their career fields and for the patients and communities that they hope to serve in their career,” she said. “I’ve been able to meet some pretty incredible people over the past few years, and being able to learn from them and alongside them has been an amazing experience. I’ve also enjoyed having the opportunity to engage with other members of our community to gain insight into how new grads in their respective careers can work together to continue to promote positive change in the health care field.”
While she enjoyed the interprofessional activities offered through the physical therapy program, Hintz decided to delve deeper into the world of interprofessional education and practice through the IPE Scholars Program.
“I was excited to participate in experiences that would help me to serve as a positive contributor to the interprofessional care team both in school and into clinical practice,” she said. “I really enjoyed the ability to interact with and learn from students in a variety of health profession programs as well as get one-on-one mentorship and guidance from a 1Health Faculty Advisor.”
Through the IPE Scholars program and other interprofessional activities, Hintz says she has a better understanding of her role on the care team and the ways in which she can seek out the expertise of other members of the team to provide improved patient-centered care.
This fall Hintz will start her next adventure in the University of Minnesota’s Geriatric Clinical Residency.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about how I can provide better, more individualized care for older adults in our community,” she said. “Beyond this residency year, I hope to continue to serve older adults in the skilled nursing or hospital-based setting. I would also like to move into the realm of education in the future – I’d love to be able to give back and help teach the next generation of physical therapists.”
The Interprofessional Education (IPE) Scholars Program offers University of Minnesota health professions students a unique opportunity to enhance their knowledge about interprofessional education, and develop important interprofessional collaboration skills. In addition to completing their program's core IPE requirements, students who participate in the IPE Scholars Program also complete several other interprofessional experiences and earn a formal distinction in interprofessional education on their official UMN transcript.