Developing Professional Identity Through a Student-Led Interprofessional Clinic: A Qualitative Study in Experiential Pharmacy Education

Objective Structured models integrating pharmacy students into student-led interprofessional outpatient clinics remain limited in public healthcare contexts. This study evaluated an experiential pharmacy education model embedded within a newly established interprofessional health student clinic, examining its benefits and limitations for collaborative learning, role clarity, and professional identity formation. Methods A six-week elective course was implemented within a newly established student-led interprofessional clinic in a primary care context in Finland. The model comprised structured orientation, supervised clinical practice including independent and joint interprofessional appointments, and guided reflection. A qualitative descriptive evaluation was conducted using thematic analysis of reflective diaries and written feedback of the pharmacy students; and instructor observations. Results Nine fifth-year pharmacy students completed the course. Four central themes emerged: professional role clarification, increasing self-confidence through repeated patient encounters, the importance of structured orientation for clinical integration, and skill rehearsal and role integration in authentic clinical practice. The transition from independent pharmacist-led sessions to embedded interprofessional consultations was perceived as particularly influential in promoting collaborative role integration. Conclusion Structured role integration within student-led clinics may strengthen professional identity formation and collaborative competence in pharmacy education.