Rationale and objectives

Studies show that problems with interprofessional collaboration can result in adverse patient outcomes. These problems are common in the field of radiology, where technology has decreased opportunities for direct communication and collaboration with referring physicians. To our knowledge, critical reflection has not been studied as an intervention to better understand one's own and/or others' roles in the context of an interprofessional team, or more specifically, to improve interprofessional collaboration between radiologists and other physicians.

Materials and methods

We trialed a reflective journaling assignment in our fourth year medical student general radiology elective. Student journal content was scored by percentage of comments reflecting on elective experiences versus recounting events. Content was categorized as "reflection" using an established measurement tool. Reflective content was evaluated to identify common themes.

Results

A total of 31 journals (178 entries and 26,749 words) were analyzed. Reflective content accounted for 43% of overall content and was subdivided into three categories: insight into one's own role and responsibilities as an ordering physician (20%), insight into a radiologist's role and responsibilities (12%), and thoughts on improving interprofessional collaboration with radiologists (11%).

Conclusions

Reflective writing allows students to explore their own role and responsibilities in the context of an interprofessional team and may improve interprofessional teamwork with radiologists.

Tissue morphogenesis and organ formation are the consequences of biochemical and biophysical cues that lead to cellular spatial patterning in development. To model such events in vitro, we use PEG-patterned substrates to geometrically confine human pluripotent stem cell colonies and spatially present mechanical stress. Modulation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway promotes spatial patterning via geometric confinement of the cell condensation process during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, forcing cells at the perimeter to express an OCT4+ annulus, which is coincident with a region of higher cell density and E-cadherin expression. The biochemical and biophysical cues synergistically induce self-organizing lineage specification and creation of a beating human cardiac microchamber confined by the pattern geometry. These highly defined human cardiac microchambers can be used to study aspects of embryonic spatial patterning, early cardiac development and drug-induced developmental toxicity.