title: European undergraduate curriculum in geriatric medicine developed using an international modified Delphi technique.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  the rise in the number of older, frail adults necessitates that future doctors are adequately trained in the skills of geriatric medicine. Few countries have dedicated curricula in geriatric medicine at the undergraduate level. The aim of this project was to develop a consensus among geriatricians on a curriculum with the minimal requirements that a medical student should achieve by the end of medical school.
  
  
  METHODS
  a modified Delphi process was used. First, educational experts and geriatricians proposed a set of learning objectives based on a literature review. Second, three Delphi rounds involving a panel with 49 experts representing 29 countries affiliated to the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) was used to gain consensus for a final curriculum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the number of disagreements following Delphi Rounds 1 and 2 were 81 and 53, respectively. Complete agreement was reached following the third round. The final curriculum consisted of detailed objectives grouped under 10 overarching learning outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  a consensus on the minimum requirements of geriatric learning objectives for medical students has been agreed by European geriatricians. Major efforts will be needed to implement these requirements, given the large variation in the quality of geriatric teaching in medical schools. This curriculum is a first step to help improve teaching of geriatrics in medical schools, and will also serve as a basis for advancing postgraduate training in geriatrics across Europe.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare for Older People, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, Notts, UK University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Tahir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masud
authors.affiliation: Healthcare for Older People, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, Notts, UK.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blundell
authors.affiliation: Healthcare for Older People, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, Notts, UK.
authors.forename: Adam Lee
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Letterkenny General Hospital, Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulpeter
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roller
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Primary Care at the University of Berne (BIHAM), University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goeldlin
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics, Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stuck
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D032921:Consensus; D003479:Curriculum; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards; D005060:Europe; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning
keywords: Delphi; European; consensus; geriatric medicine; undergraduate curriculum