IPE Certificate of Distinction

Through the Interprofessional (IPE) Certificate of Distinction, the Office of IPECP recognizes WHSC students, residents, and fellows who have demonstrated a strong commitment to IPE through participation in approved IPE experiential learning opportunities while at Emory. WHSC learners who receive the IPE certificate have distinguished themselves by participating in IPE activities above and beyond the core curriculum IPE requirements of their WHSC schools.

Health professional graduate and undergraduate students, residents, and fellows in the three WHSC schools. Recipients must be enrolled and in good academic standing in their respective degree, residency, or fellowship programs.

Recipients will receive a printed certificate signed by the Office of IPECP co-directors and recognition at a reception held in honor of certificate recipients each May. Some recipients will also receive honor regalia that they may wear during commencement ceremonies if allowed by their respective degree, residency, or fellowship program. Please note that the School of Medicine's MD program does not allow graduates to wear honor regalia during its commencement ceremonies. 

Recipients must participate in a minimum number of IPE experiential learning opportunities while at Emory. The number of experiences required will depend on the type of activity (stand-alone, longitudinal, or limited engagement). IPE experiential learning opportunities include community engagement programs, research projects, programs in the clinical setting, case competitions, hackathons, and IPECP conferences, but do not include work required for course credit.

The Office of IPECP defines an IPE experiential learning initiative as an out-of-the-classroom activity that meets the following criteria:

  • involves learners from two or more health professions,
  • makes interprofessional learning explicit as one of its goals,
  • includes interactivity, debriefing, or reflection among the learners about the experience; and
  • aims to address at least one of the four IPEC core competencies.

An accepted IPE certificate activity requires WHSC learners to collaborate with one or more learners from a different degree program within the WHSC. Two or more degree programs can be within the Emory University School of Medicine (e.g., physical therapy, physician assistant studies, genetic counseling, anesthesiology, and medical imaging) and/or awarded by any of the three health professional schools. Medical residents and fellows must collaborate with learners completing degree and training programs outside of medicine (e.g., Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Rollins School of Public Health, or any of the non-MD academic health programs within the school of medicine). WHSC learners may also engage in activities with licensed health professionals working in clinical or community settings on IPE initiatives. The IPE experience must bring learners from diverse health professional disciplines together to collaboratively engage in issues related to patient care, public health, health care innovation, and/or delivery.

Because the Emory IPE experiential learning opportunities differ in terms of their time commitments, certificate requirements are based on the estimated time required to participate in the activities. All approved IPE activities are in addition to the IPECP programs that the WHSC health professional schools require of their students, residents, and trainees. Please note, if an IPE experience is part of a learner's required core curriculum, it will not be accepted for this certificate program.

WHSC learners will be eligible to receive an IPE Certificate if they complete the following:

  • One stand-alone IPE opportunity, or
  • One longitudinal IPE opportunity plus one limited engagement opportunity, or
  • Two longitudinal IPE opportunities, or
  • Three limited engagement opportunities.

WHSC learners can participate in the activities at any point during their studies at Emory. Learners must provide evidence of their participation to the Office of IPECP.

The Office of IPECP anticipates the following list will grow as IPE programs are developed and/or approved for inclusion.

Stand-Alone Programs

Longitudinal Programs

Limited Engagement Programs

WHSC learners may also propose other IPE opportunities for consideration to the Office of IPECP. Programs for consideration include IPE research projects, quality improvement projects, and collaborative IPE opportunities with licensed health professionals in the clinical and community settings. The Office will review the proposed opportunity, and if approved, will determine if it is a stand-alone, longitudinal, or limited engagement activity. Guidelines for submitting IPE opportunities not listed above for consideration will be available soon.

Interested WHSC learners are responsible for submitting proof of their participation in approved IPE activities to the Office of IPECP. Proof of participation includes any documentation that provides evidence of a learner's participation (e.g., correspondence from program administrators, copy of learner's name in program collateral, etc.). Past participation in approved IPE activities at Emory will be accepted so long as proof of participation is provided and it took place during the learner's current enrollment at Emory. The Office of IPECP will confirm with schools' enrollment services offices that students and trainees who have met the certificate requirements are approved to graduate/complete their program. Once learners meet the certificate requirements, the Office of IPECP will alert them so that they can include the recognition on their CVs prior to graduation while they search for jobs, residency placements, etc.

To submit proof of IPE program participation, please complete the certificate submission form.

Please contact ipecp@emory.edu if you have any questions.