Welcome to the 2025 All-Ireland Interprofessional Healthcare Challenge for Students
UCD Health Affairs are seeking students who wish to get involved and participate in the All-Ireland Interprofessional Healthcare Challenge. An interdisciplinary team is required, and we are seeking up to 8 students to represent UCD. See eligibility details below. If you are interested, please complete this (opens in a new window)google form by Friday 6th December if you wish to be considered (selection is based on ensuring interdisciplinary representation across schools).
The successful team in the competition will win €1000!
The best health outcomes for patients with complex or chronic healthcare needs often depend on effective teamwork and collaboration between various healthcare professionals with different skills and knowledge. The All-Ireland Interprofessional Healthcare Challenge (AIPEC) aims to develop this important skillset prior to graduation, in a way that is transformative, authentic, and fun!
AIPEC is an intervarsity education competition which provides an opportunity for students from all health disciplines to work collaboratively with colleagues from different professions to meet a challenge set around complex care issues.
The event has representation from competing teams including Queen’s University Belfast, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, Ulster University, University College Cork, University College Dublin, University of Galway and University of Limerick.
AIPEC 2025 will be hosted by UCD!
Why participate?
- Meet and work with students from other health disciplines
- Represent your profession and your university/organisation on a national level
- Improve your communication, teamwork, and clinical skills
- Expand your professional knowledge
- Form lasting networks with a cohort of future leaders in health care
- Enjoy the prestige of participating in a national interprofessional education (IPE) challenge
- Boost your CV and stand out from the crowd in the job market
- Receive a Certificate of Participation
- Be in with a chance to win the prize, and,
- Last, but not least…..it’s FUN!
What is involved?
Students work in interprofessional teams of between three and eight. Teams are tasked with preparing a patient management plan lasting no more than eight minutes in response to a complex case study, which they will present at the live event. A minimum of 30 seconds of the presentation must include the students’ reflection on their own inter-professional learning journey. A time bell will notify students when they are approaching the final minute of their presentation.
Students will organise within their team to meet to plan their presentation while understanding that students may be juggling multiple commitments. Past students involved in the challenge have indicated that an average of eight to ten hours was spent in preparation of the management plan. This included team meetings, home preparation and independent research.
Teams may communicate by any means, including digital platforms, in planning for this. It is really up to your team, and what is best for everyone.
On Friday 28th March 2025, student teams will come together at UCD for an in-person event including guest speakers and live presentations. Travel costs will be covered by the respective Universities (please liaise with your local contact about this). You will present your response to the case study to an audience, including a panel of judges.
The case presented is intentionally detailed to allow input of a multi-disciplinary team. The judging panel will be aware that it is not possible to cover all aspects within the eight minutes available. It will be up to each team to prioritise the care issues that they wish to discuss in the time available.
Each university will have different disciplines that make up their team, and not all disciplines will be taught at each of the universities. Teams can expand the case study to allow each of the professions represented on their team to have an input to the case. There is no pre-determined aspect that must be covered.
The team that displays the greatest mastery of teamwork and interprofessional working is declared the winner.
Conditions of Entry
All students wishing to participate in the AIPEC must be enrolled in a health science programme or degree in the same calendar year as the competition they wish to participate in. Students must be pre-registration. Students that have graduated before the current year and have entered full time employment are not eligible to compete on behalf of that professional discipline. Students who have previously represented their university in the AIPEC competition are not eligible to compete.
Commitments Associated with Participation
By registering for the AIPEC, students commit to:
- Working within an interprofessional team to develop an eight-minute presentation of a management plan in response to the case study
- Attending the AIPEC pre-Event evening on Thursday 27th March 2025 and the Event Day on Friday 28th March 2025 in person at UCD. The event will be live streamed to colleagues and students in the participating universities.
Academic Leads for 2025:
Dr Brona Fullen, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science
Dr Lisa Rogers, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Rachel Howe, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems
Coordinators for AIPEC 2025:
Kasia Gaughan, UCD Health Affairs
Suzanne McMahon, UCD Health Affairs
