ECLIPSE (Explorations in Collaborative Leadership and Interprofessional Education) is a newly launched leadership development program for Oakland University School of Health Sciences (SHS) students as of fall 2017. ECLIPSE engages students in interprofessional education — cooperatively sharing knowledge of problems across professional boundaries — and collaborative leadership — working together as a team to achieve a common goal or solve a problem. Open to all SHS students and longitudinal in design, ECLIPSE creates a community where students have the opportunity to build a strong and diverse social network as they make valuable connections with peers across disciplines.
“ECLIPSE has been a great way to get involved on campus at OU. The way the program is set up, with a badge system for earning involvement points, motivates members to do things on campus to earn these points and raise membership status,” explains Jessica Christy, SHS student and ECLIPSE member. “At the end of last year, I earned my bronze badge. Next is silver, then gold, then platinum.”
Christy is majoring in health sciences with a concentration in pre-physical therapy. She aspires to graduate in 2020 with a platinum membership status, and says that having this goal in mind pushes her to get involved and network at events on campus.
“OU provides great opportunities to help secure my future career,” Christy says “There are many organizations that help prepare students for the professional world, and of course the excellent advisers, faculty, and staff are always excellent people to talk with and to get advice and help from”.
Intentional programming and gamified program design encourage students to become involved inside and outside of class, thus heightening their chances of college completion. Regardless of academic standing, background, or previous leadership exposure, ECLIPSE members gain a competitive edge through their participation in practical experiences applicable to careers and/or advanced study in health-related professions.
“Through clinical experiences, community engagement, and work with industry partners, ECLIPSE participants engage in and reflect on the four core pillars of collaborative leadership and interprofessional education (situational roles, means of communication, effective teamwork, and personal values),” says SHS Associate Dean, Kristin Landis-Piwowar. “Upon completion of the ECLIPSE program, students will be health leaders who impact the lives of individuals, communities, and populations.”
The program also hosts several of its own events, to create camaraderie among the members. “The ECLIPSE events are really fun; I’ve made friends through the events,” says Christy. “They are all interesting and have useful topics such as personal leadership styles, how to run a meeting and more. It is a unique club and I’m glad I decided to join.”
Discover more about ECLIPSE at oakland.edu/shs/eclipse.
Winter 2019 Issue of SHS InHealth