Changes in student perceptions of interdisciplinary practice in the rural setting.

This study examined whether students' professional perceptions of interdisciplinary practice change following participation in a planned interdisciplinary experience in the rural setting, relative to their own profession and other health related disciplines. Data were collected from students enrolled in varied academic programs who participated in planned interdisciplinary experiences in the care of patients while in the clinical area through the Idaho Rural Interdisciplinary Training Project. Repeated measures multivariate and univariate analysis of variance revealed a significant change in students' perceptions of professional competence and autonomy of other disciplines and their own following the interdisciplinary experience in the clinical area. The data also revealed a significant change in students' perceptions at the completion of their clinical rotation of actual cooperation and resource sharing within and across professions. There was a significant gender effect and pretest to post-test effect following the interdisciplinary experience in the rural setting.