THINQ Tank: An interprofessional healthcare quality improvement case competition for undergraduate students

Quality improvement (QI) and patient safety are essential in health professions education, emphasizing interdisciplinary teamwork. The Healthcare Improvement and iNnovation in Quality (THINQ) Collaborative at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), established by the Department of Medicine (DoM) Quality Program at UCLA Health, initiated the THINQ Case Competition to address the gap in undergraduate QI education. This interprofessional competition, inspired by the show “Shark Tank,” promotes creativity, collaboration, and research by engaging teams of undergraduates and recent graduates to apply QI principles to real-world healthcare challenges. Over two years, 78 participants analyzed problem statements, developed evidence-based interventions, and presented their solutions to a panel of professional judges during the event’s annual two-month run. The competition fosters teamwork across diverse academic backgrounds while exposing students to key healthcare concepts. Evaluation criteria include problem framing, intervention content, creativity, presentation quality, and team engagement, with scores assigned using a standardized rubric. Outcomes were assessed through feedback from judges and surveys of participants, revealing that the competition had a strong positive educational impact. The presentations contributed to ongoing UCLA Health QI projects or sparked discussions with clinicians to launch new initiatives. Future improvements will include refining the rubric, introducing judge training on QI methodologies, and implementing a more structured participant feedback process. The materials and structure of the competition are available for adaptation by other institutions seeking to promote undergraduate engagement in QI and patient safety practices.