Geriatric education. Part I: Efficacy of a mandatory clinical rotation for fourth year medical students.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the curriculum of a mandatory, fourth-year geriatrics clerkship and assess its impact on medical students' knowledge of geriatric medicine and attitudes toward the elderly.


METHODS
One group, before/after trial.


METHODS
Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York.


METHODS
Entire fourth year class of medical students (n = 127).


METHODS
Four-week-long clinical geriatrics clerkship.


METHODS
Pre- and post-rotation: test of knowledge; Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) attitude scale; Modified Maxwell-Sullivan attitude scale; questionnaire.


RESULTS
Seventy percent of students found the rotation to be educationally valuable; however, only one-third of students would have taken the clerkship had it not been required. Mean geriatric knowledge score increased by 18.7% (P less than 0.001). Mean ASD attitude score did not change significantly (130.5 +/- 19.2 pre-rotation versus 126.6 +/- 18.8 post-rotation, P = 0.15), but students started the rotation with a neutral attitude. Over 90% of students agreed they would welcome elderly into their future practice.


CONCLUSIONS
If a national curricular goal is to improve medical students' knowledge of geriatric medicine, required rather than elective rotations may be in order.
Fields
S D
SD
Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, City University of New York, New York.
Jutagir
R
R
Adelman
R D
RD
Tideiksarr
R
R
Olson
E
E
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology