Benefits of an international intra- and interprofessional fieldwork/service-learning experience

Cultural immersion experiences provide students with authentic, real-life opportunities to engage with clients. These experiences are powerful tools to enhance students’ global perspectives of occupation (Humbert et al., 2012). International service learning has been shown to increase professional identity, cultural sensitivity, and intra- and interprofessional collaboration skills (Cipriani, 2017). During the summer of 2019, Thomas Jefferson University coordinated a fieldwork/service-learning opportunity to Morocco and Spain, bringing together master of occupational therapy (MSOT) students, entry-level doctor of occupational therapy (E-OTD) and couples and family therapy (CFT) students, and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) students. The experience aimed to increase students’ cultural sensitivity, intra- and interprofessional collaboration, and professional identity, while meeting curriculum-specific fieldwork learning objectives.