Capital Sharing and Socialization in an Interprofessional Student-Led Clinic: A Bordieuan Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background Interprofessional student-led clinics provide valuable settings for authentic clinical experiences and collaborative patient care. However, there is a lack of theoretically informed research to optimize the factors impacting the sustainability of these clinics. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the dynamic relationships between students and patients in a co-creating student-led clinic for individuals living with Parkinson's Disease, using Bourdieu's theoretical framework. Methods The teaching focussed clinic was established in 2018 to emulate a clinical service. Semi-structured focus groups with participants (20 students from 5 disciplines and 11 patients) were conducted to gather in-depth insights into their clinic experience. A thematic analysis was guided by Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus, capital, and power. Results Our findings suggests that the student-led clinic emerged as a complex field intersecting with a patient support group, an aged care facility, and university-based healthcare disciplines. We developed three broad themes: Fostering students’ disposition to interprofessional care, Capitalizing on collaboration and empowerment and Culture of mutual capital exchange. Students and patients developed specific dispositions which enriched their habitus, by focused on meeting shared patient well-being goals. As participants engaged in interprofessional collaborative practice, they brought different forms of capital to the clinic. Social and cultural capital was exchanged among students, fostering trust and respect for disciplinary expertise and professional boundaries. Students gained cultural capital, acquiring interprofessional knowledge about and with patients. In a culture of mutual trust, patients felt empowered through their symbolic capital, investing in students' learning and recognizing the importance of their own well-being goals within the collaborative setting. Conclusion The findings highlight the collective symbolic power of the interprofessional student-led clinic, where the recognition and exchange of valued forms of capital among participants fostered student learning and enriched the habitus of both students and patients. Valuing and sharing different forms of capital other than economic, such as social and cultural capital, contributed to optimizing the participants' clinic experience. These insights can inform the development and sustainability of interprofessional student-led clinics, emphasizing the importance of mutual trust, respect, and shared goals between students and patients, and educators.