What did we learn about Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Institutions?

The Interdisciplinary Generalist Curriculum (IGC) Project significantly adv anced collaboration in the development of medical school curricula. As prim ary care faculty began to work together they encountered and overcame many challenges inherent in this new process. Inclusion of other faculty and dep artments, as well as dedicated support from the deans' offices, became nece ssary to the success of the projects. The continuation of successful collab orative projects in the medical school environment requires a common commit ment of faculty, students, department chairs, and the dean's office; protec ted time; and involvement of faculty from other disciplines. This article o utlines initial models of collaboration implemented in the IGC Project, fol lowed by a description of the expected and unexpected outcomes of these col laborative efforts, and a discussion of the emergence of new ways of collab orating, with recommendations for successful collaborative efforts.