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The Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP) Common Curriculum is designed to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage in liberal arts and science coursework while exploring health profession study. Contemporary education in the health professions is demanding and unique. The shaping of a competent health professional requires strong traditional liberal arts and sciences foundations, comprehensive disciplinary knowledge, and the advancement of interprofessional abilities. The construction of the WCHP Common Curriculum supports the development of the student in this educational endeavor.

The WCHP Common Curriculum is constructed around three (3) domains of study: Study in the Arts and Sciences, Interprofessional Education and Discipline-Specific Study.

Study in the Arts and Sciences

Engagement in the arts and sciences provides an essential underpinning for health profession study and renders a framework for the first two (2) academic years. This arena serves to develop important intellectual skills and is characterized by a well-scaffolded sequence of biological coursework and study in social-behavioral science. Quantitative reasoning and critical thinking are examined through mathematics and scientific inquiry. Written and oral communication abilities are cultivated through English composition and supporting exploratory humanities. Elements of the College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum are interwoven throughout, providing academic offerings in creative arts, social-global awareness, humanities exploration, and advanced studies/ human traditions coursework. Understanding in the arts and sciences is additionally fostered through other special co-curricular campus events and throughout general collegiate life. Study in the arts and sciences supports the development of effective communication skills; critical thinking abilities; quantitative reasoning; and exploration of issues related to societal and global diversity.

Interprofessional Education

Contemporary health profession practice demands that graduates be competent not only in disciplinary expertise but also with knowledge and skills in interprofessional collaboration. This requires health professionals to learn with, from, and about each other in gaining competence in communication, teamwork, understanding of roles and responsibilities, and ethical comportment. Two (2) required interprofessional education courses (IPE) examine these competencies, providing students with the opportunity to engage in increasingly complex problem solving, work collaboratively in teams, apply interpersonal communication principles, and explore ethical considerations for high-quality patient and population care. Interprofessional coursework is delivered in year one (1) through a first-year experience (FYE) course, and in year two (2) through a course exploring ethical principles and practice. Application occurs through experiential learning within the major, co-curricular seminars, IPE elective courses, and service-learning activities.

Discipline-specific Study

Engagement in the major is prominent during years three (3) and four (4) of health profession coursework. Study within the major provides the student with experiential learning opportunities integrating foundational cognitive, psychomotor, and affective knowledge gained from study in the arts and sciences and IPE. Disciplinary education is informed by classroom learning experiences, guided hands-on clinical laboratory, facilitated simulation exercises, and diverse experiences in fieldwork and clinical practice sites. Study within the major advances critical and creative thinking within the discipline instills a spirit of inquiry and life-long learning, and upholds the imperative of citizenship within a complex, changing society.

WCHP Common Curriculum Objectives

• Employ critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the study of the health professions.
• Examine ethical knowledge, professional standards, and values congruent with interprofessional practice.
• Demonstrate effective communication and interprofessional collaboration abilities.
• Appraise knowledge of self and personal fit in preparation for interprofessional health practice.

WCHP Common Curriculum Summary

The WCHP Common Curriculum is outcomes-oriented and emphasizes active, engaged approaches to learning. It challenges students to acquire and integrate knowledge across fields of study in shaping a competent health professional. The faculty in the Westbrook College of Health Professions uphold the Common Curriculum as an essential component to producing graduates who are highly effective in their disciplinary practice, competent with interprofessional collaboration, and informed citizens ready to contribute to a complex, dynamic society.