Background: Interprofessional teamwork is a crucial competency in health professions education which improves patient care. However, interprofessional education is not a widespread practice in medical schools. To address this need, we developed an educational pilot utilizing a standardized patient simulation to teach interprofessional communication and teamwork to medical and nursing students. Methods: Ten teams of students consisting of a fourth year medical student, a senior nursing student and a patient family member (portrayed by a standardized actress) participated in a simulated scenario involving end-of-life decision making for a critically ill patient. Interprofessional teamwork and communication were essential to successfully determine next steps when a "code blue" was called. Results: This exercise was well received and medical students felt more prepared to work on an interprofessional team after completion. Conclusions: Simulation is an effective method for teaching interprofessional teamwork and communication to medical students and nursing students.