title: An assisted living facility curriculum to introduce geriatrics to first-year medical students.
abstract: Many U.S. medical schools have developed curricula in geriatric medicine to address the growing older adult population. At our university, the authors have integrated an assisted living facility (ALF) program into a required first-year clinical skills course. During the 2011 to 2012 academic year, an electronic survey was distributed to 109 first-year medical students prior to and after the program. Eighty-eight percent and 85% of students completed the pre- and postintervention survey, respectively. Students reported a positive attitude toward caring for older adults (92.5% post- vs. 80.2% preintervention), an understanding of the medical and social needs of older adults (89.2% post- vs. 38.5% preintervention), an acquisition of the skills to assess the health of older adults (71% post- vs. 14.5% preintervention), and an understanding of ALFs as nonmedical supportive housing (92.5% post- vs. 70.8% preintervention). The authors' curriculum offers an innovative method to integrate geriatrics education early in medical education and to involve medical students in their community.
authors.affiliation: a Alpert Medical School , Brown University , Providence , Rhode Island , USA.
authors.forename: Iris L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Sarita S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Warrier
authors.forename: Louis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Pugliese
authors.forename: Naomi Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: McMackin
authors.forename: Julie Scott
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities / Q000379:methods*; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: medical curriculum; medical education; medical students; senior mentor programs