I am Dr. Jill Thistlethwaite, an interprofessional champion and academic, retired from being a family physician but still involved in health professional education through mentoring, writing and presenting, working in Australia but born in the UK.
I became involved with IPE while a general practice educator as we introduced joint education sessions for GP trainees and practice nurses in the 1990s in the north of England, though we did not call this IPE then! In 1996 I moved into academia and met Hugh Barr, one of the principal proponents of IPECP globally - he invited me to be an associate editor for the Journal of Interprofessional Care. I was also involved in setting up IPE activities for a mix of HP students and recently graduated HPs.
Over the years I have seen IPECP promoted, forgotten, sidelined and embedded in various places but with an ongoing commitment of the IPECP community to collaboration and improving healthcare delivery, social justice and inclusion. There is much work to be done as healthcare is subject to political forces and, unfortunately, tribalism still exists amongst HPs in some jurisdictions.
My achievements in IPECP have been realised through collaborating with a network of colleagues - nothing can be accomplished alone. I am proud of my publishing record, the nurturing of younger colleagues to write and publish, global presentations to help others develop IPE and my senior Fulbright time at the National Centre for Interprofessional Practice and Education in Minnesota.
IPR.Global is a global community of practice, that supports and motivates the development and dissemination of IPECP initiatives and research/evaluation concepts and projects. It is a network of friend and colleagues with similar perspectives and ambitions from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
@Jill Thistlethwaite
