Post by Tina Patel Gunaldo, PhD, DPT, MHS

You have seen this sign. Maybe you posted it. Maybe you applied for the position. Maybe you walked past it every day for a year. Did anyone ever stop to ask what multidisciplinary actually means here? ❌ Not as a criticism. ✅ As a genuine question. The word can mean different things to different people. 1️⃣ To one person, it signals true teamwork. 2️⃣ To another, it means several professionals work in the same setting while each stays in their own lane. Both people read the same sign and both imagined something different. This is not about right or wrong. It is about knowing what you are building, what you are joining, and whether the words you use actually describe the way people are expected to work together. Multidisciplinary. Interdisciplinary. Interprofessional. ❌ These terms are not interchangeable. ✅ They describe different structures, different levels of integration, and different expectations for shared responsibility. I created a short video that breaks down all three and the link in the comments. We are better together... but better does not happen by accident. #CollaborateForHealth #BetterTogether #InterprofessionalCollaboration #HealthcareLeadership