Effectiveness of a Small Group Activity (SKIPPs) for Interprofessional Learning

This study describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of Scientific Knowledge Integrated in Patient Presentations (SKIPPs), a small-group active learning intervention designed to integrate foundational biochemical concepts with clinical sciences early in undergraduate health professions education. SKIPPs was created to address the persistent challenge of helping learners connect core biochemical knowledge to clinical presentation and diagnostic reasoning.

The intervention targets first-semester foundational science courses and was deployed across five health professions programs, emphasizing interprofessional collaboration and authentic clinical problem solving. SKIPPs comprises multistage learning modules built around inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) as clinical cases. Each module includes four sequential components: (1) low-fidelity case simulations presenting pediatric patients with symptoms consistent with IEMs, providing an accessible clinical vignette for teams to work through; (2) guided group discussions focused on clinical biochemistry, differential diagnoses, and diagnostic strategies, enabling participants to map biochemical mechanisms onto clinical findings and to consider appropriate laboratory and imaging approaches; (3) oral presentations in which student teams articulate their clinical reasoning strategies, promoting articulation of thought processes and peer learning; and (4) targeted discussion of relevant evidence-based medicine topics linked to the cases, reinforcing application of literature and best practices to clinical decision making. The combination of simulation, structured discussion, presentation, and evidence appraisal scaffolds learners’ progression from foundational knowledge to adaptive clinical reasoning.

The authors report that SKIPPs sessions were well received by both students and faculty. Assessment of learning outcomes indicated significant improvements in trainees’ ability to integrate foundational science concepts into clinical scenarios, to practice interprofessional teamwork, and to develop clinical reasoning skills. The intervention’s emphasis on interprofessional groups allows learners from different health professions programs to contribute diverse perspectives and practice collaborative problem solving, reflecting the realities of contemporary clinical teams. Using IEMs as case content provides mechanistic biochemical problems that naturally require linking molecular pathology to patient presentation, diagnostic testing, and therapeutic considerations, which supports the educational goal of bridging bench-to-bedside thinking early in the curriculum. SKIPPs responds to calls within medical education to foreground cognition and integration when designing curricula, supporting the development of adaptive expertise by actively engaging students in applying basic science concepts to complex, realistic problems. The modular, low-fidelity format and structured activities make SKIPPs adaptable to a range of course settings while preserving core learning objectives: integration of biochemical knowledge, development of clinical reasoning, practice in oral communication of clinical reasoning, and engagement with evidence-based medicine.

The study documents both the pedagogical design and positive learner outcomes, offering a replicable model for educators seeking to strengthen foundational-clinical integration in early health professions training. The authors declare no conflicts of interest, and the work contributes to the literature on active learning and curriculum integration in medical biochemistry education.