A fourth-year medical school clerkship that addressed negative attitudes toward geriatric medicine.
Despite extensive educational efforts, many medical students still have negative attitudes toward the field of geriatric medicine and the care of older adult patients. This article describes a fourth-year geriatric clerkship that addressed this issue by providing opportunities for students to actively discuss many of the negative stereotypes that exist regarding geriatric medicine. Emphasis was also placed on personalizing the course content to show the relevance of geriatric medicine to all medical students. During the 2008/09 academic year, 150 students completed the rotation. Although no students expressed an interest in pursuing a career as a geriatrician, they expressed a highly favorable evaluation of this personalized geriatric clerkship and voted this clerkship "the most outstanding clinical course" at the medical school.
Golden
Adam G
AG
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center and Research Service, Bruce W. Carter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida 33125, USA. adam.golden@va.gov
van Zuilen
Maria H
MH
Mintzer
Michael J
MJ
Issenberg
S Barry
SB
Silverman
Michael A
MA
Roos
Bernard A
BA
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009341:Negativism; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013240:Stereotyping; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D056164:Teaching Rounds / Q000458:organization & administration