A group photo of participants at the 11th Annual IPE Student Association Forum.
DOHA: The 11th Annual Interprofessional Education (IPE) Student Association Forum at Qatar University (QU) marked a significant milestone in the ongoing development of collaborative health profession education.
The forum brought together students, health professionals, educators, and leaders in the field to discuss key issues in patient care, with the overarching theme, ‘Seeing the Person Beyond the Diagnosis.’ The forum, led by the IPE Student Association, showcased the vital role of interprofessional collaboration in addressing the complex challenges faced in modern healthcare.
It emphasised that effective care requires not just understanding a disease but understanding the individual — their values, context, and needs. This year’s event saw students from various health professions engage in team challenges, debates, and presentations aimed at tackling the pressing issues in autism care and other complex health topics.
The forum featured dynamic events throughout the day, including interprofessional team challenges, debates, and presentations. The keynote speakers, Dr. Madeeha Kamel, Sr. Attending Pediatrician at Sidra Medicine and Dr. Noof Al-Siddiqi, Senior Consultant Dermatologist at Hamad Medical Corporation, shared their insights on collaborative care, emphasising the importance of interprofessional education in improving patient outcomes and shaping the future of healthcare.
Prof. Asmaa Al-Thani, Vice President for Health and Medical Sciences at QU, reflected on the event’s significance: “The 11th Annual IPE Student Association Forum is a remarkable testament to the power of collaboration and interdisciplinary learning. At Qatar University, we are committed to fostering an environment where future healthcare professionals are not only equipped with specialised knowledge, but also the ability to work seamlessly across disciplines to address the complex challenges of modern healthcare.”
Dr. Banan Mukhalalati, Director of the Integrated Learning in QU’s Health Sector said: “Reaching the 11th edition of this forum is far more than a milestone. It is a powerful testament to continuity, resilience, and shared belief. It tells the story of students who cared enough to carry this work forward year after year. And of an institution that trusted them to lead. 11 years means that one generation of students passed the responsibility to the next ensuring that IPE did not remain an idea but became a sustained culture.”
Dr. Alla El-Awaisi, Advisor to the VP of Health and Medical Sciences and Head of the IPE Program at QU, expressed her pride in the students’ involvement, stating: “Our students’ remarkable contributions, from the debates to the team challenges and presentations, demonstrate their readiness to lead in an evolving healthcare landscape. I am confident that this generation of students will continue to drive the transformation of healthcare in Qatar and beyond, bridging gaps and fostering collaborative solutions that place the individual at the center of care.”
The forum provided students with a platform to demonstrate their leadership abilities and engage in key healthcare challenges.
