Many schools have helped us get to 100,000 students and residents in
the IHI Open School. There are hundreds of Chapters at universities around the
world – some with hundreds of members – that are leading the charge. There are
a (growing!) number of schools that are integrating our courses and our basic
certificate into their curricula. And there are a collection of teams in
various countries that are helping us to test our IHI Open School Quality
Improvement Practicum.
We’ve come to realize that the IHI Open School has the power to change
cultures on a campus. And one strong example sits across the pond from us, at
the University of Dundee in Scotland. There, medical student Sarah Macpherson
has been a leader and an ambassador for us – particularly regarding quality
improvement projects.
We asked her why the next 100,000 students and residents should join
the IHI Open School. Her first thought, in particular, really stuck with us:
“Why do I think the next 100,000 students and
residents should join the IHI Open School?
- For the representatives from Dundee, being members of the IHI Open School helps to give us a sense of pride in our medical school.
- The chance to do useful online leadership and patient safety courses, applicable to the clinical environment, for free.
- Help and support in starting your first QI project from IHI Open School staff. In particular, the chance to embark on an IHI Open School Practicum is invaluable thanks to the solid structure and guidance in the program.
- The Practicum enables a deeper understanding of what is involved when working in a clinical team. The students gets to be in the clinical environment making QI changes and engaging with health professionals, including doctors, nurses, reception staff, porters, pharmacists, and domestic staff.
- International conferences with a buzzing atmosphere where you can meet with like-minded students and staff to learn from each other, and share experiences. (Plus, you get to have lots of fun exploring a new city like Paris).
- A once-in-a-lifetime experience to present a QI project as a medical student to an international community that can offer suggestions of how to improve your work.
- The chance to listen to lectures from stars in the field such as Don Berwick.
- The IHI Open School is growing and becoming a major international community of motivated health professionals. Join now to take advantage of endless future opportunities.”
