Cape Breton Medical Campus Builds on Local Culture of Collaboration

Whether it’s filling a prescription, supporting someone healing from an injury or responding to a mental health crisis, you might say it takes a village to provide holistic healthcare. That’s what Dr. Abidemi Fasanmi is working to highlight through her role as Director of Interprofessional Education (IPE) and Service Learning (SL) at the Cape Breton Medical Campus (CBMC).

Dr. Fasanmi and the IPE and SL team recently connected CBMC’s 30 first-year medical students to healthcare experts across disciplines during an interactive event at the campus. Dr. Fasanmi says students had the opportunity to explore patient needs with healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines. Using mock patient case studies, the students engaged in collaborative discussions to map out the course of care for each patient.

“Medical doctors can best support patients by understanding the available resources, including the roles of allied health professionals,” says Dr. Fasanmi.

Local healthcare professionals volunteered their time to support the IPE event, immersing in conversations with students around their own roles in patient care. Dr. Fasanmi says it was a positive experience for everyone involved. “The vibrant conversation among the students and healthcare providers really show the importance of collaboration to optimize patient services and health outcomes,” she adds.

Volunteers included a nurse practitioner, a pharmacist, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, a Registered Nurse and a social worker, each sharing their expertise as students rotated in groups. Students had discussions with each of the visiting professionals before the event concluded.

Adele Bursey is an occupational therapist who volunteered to take part in IPE Event. She says it was a rewarding experience for her and the students.

“The CBMC students were eager to learn how and when to consider an occupational therapist in patient care and care planning,” says Bursey. “Healthcare in rural communities may have its challenges, but it’s a huge advantage to work in close knit rural communities like those in Cape Breton. People embrace opportunities to work together for positive outcomes, including healthcare professionals.”

IPE is a component of first year medical studies and will continue as a focus throughout the year. Many thanks to local allied healthcare professionals who participated in IPE 2025 Event!

The CBMC welcomed its first cohort of 30 students in August 2025, with the inaugural class eligible to graduate in 2029. The new campus is the result of a partnership between Cape Breton University and Dalhousie Medical School, supported with funding from the Province of Nova Scotia.