Student Research Spotlight Ashley Poole (PsyD '20)
October 15, 2019
Doctor of clinical psychology student Ashley Poole explains her examination of healthcare
students' perspectives on collaborative care and interprofessional education.
After graduating with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fayetteville State
University, Ashley Poole (PsyD ’20) began working as a licensed professional counselor
(LPC) in her home state of North Carolina. During that time, Ashley was able to apply
the skills she’d learned in school to work with a wide range of mental health conditions,
including specific treatment for sex offenders. After working as an LPC, Ashley decided
to expand her skillset even further and enrolled in the doctor of clinical psychology program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
What are you studying?
My research examines healthcare students' perspectives on collaborative care and working
with other healthcare disciplines.
What prompted you to pursue research?
I’ve been working as a graduate assistant for the PCOM Interprofessional Education (IPE) program with Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, ABPP, associate dean, PCOM’s School of Professional and Applied Psychology, and the PCOM IPE team since 2016. Dr. Felgoise, who is also my dissertation chair,
sparked my interest in the research for my dissertation. After reading extensively
on IPE and collaborative practice, I noticed the need for on-going research regarding
the best ways to implement IPE.
What experience do you have conducting research?
Most of my research experience has taken place here at PCOM. In 2017, I conducted
and presented research on the relationship between social media and mental health
at the American Psychological Association National Conference with Celine Thompson,
PhD. Additionally, I have worked with David Festinger, PhD, director, substance abuse research and education, PCOM’s School of Professional
and Applied Psychology, in the Philadelphia Drug Court using a brief intervention
to link drug court participants to primary health care. Most recently, I was a contributing
author on “Interprofessional Education: Collaboration and Learning in Action” which
was published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, alongside other PCOM faculty and students.
What were your responsibilities in the research project?
Along with my principal investigator, Dr. Felgoise, I will be collecting and analyzing
the data for my research study. Participants will complete an online survey, which
will include questions about their thoughts on collaborative practice with other healthcare
disciplines. Additional research questions will explore ways of improving the IPE
learning experiences at PCOM.
What is the broader impact of your research?
It’s known that interprofessional healthcare teams improve healthcare outcomes. It
is my hope that this study will provide information to support the effective delivery
of interprofessional education for students. I want to contribute to existing knowledge
regarding the best way to prepare students to improve patient care. I also believe
the interprofessional experiences I’ve had at PCOM have prepared me to work collaboratively
with other disciplines in my role as a mental health professional.
About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained
thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral
scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just
symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education,
operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic
medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers
graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical
sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling,
physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance
of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its
community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations.
For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.