title: Lessons learned from narrative feedback of students on a geriatric training program.
abstract: Geriatrics continues to draw insufficient numbers of medical students today. Currently, little is known regarding how education can motivate students to choose geriatrics. The authors' aim was to examine geriatrics from the students' perspective to identify elements that can be useful in education and improving attitudes toward, interest in, and knowledge about geriatrics. The authors analyzed narrative reflection essays of 36 students and clarified the themes from the essays during focus group sessions. Four overarching themes that influenced students' perspective on geriatrics were identified: professional identity, perception of geriatrics, geriatric-specific problems, and learning environment. Students have an inaccurate image of clinical practice and the medical professional identity, which has a negative impact on their attitude toward, interest in, and knowledge of geriatrics. Furthermore, this study yielded the important role of the hidden curriculum on professional identity, the novelty of geriatric-specific problems to students, and the importance of educational approach and good role models.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Primary and Community Care , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marjolein H J
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0977-7954
authors.initials: MHJ
authors.lastname: van de Pol
authors.affiliation: b Department of Internal Medicine , Haga Teaching Hospital , The Hague , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lagro
authors.affiliation: a Department of Primary and Community Care , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Elise L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Koopman
authors.affiliation: c Department of Geriatrics , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel G M
authors.initials: MGM
authors.lastname: Olde Rikkert
authors.affiliation: d Academic Educational Institute , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cornelia R M G
authors.initials: CRMG
authors.lastname: Fluit
authors.affiliation: a Department of Primary and Community Care , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Antoine L M
authors.initials: ALM
authors.lastname: Lagro-Janssen
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D004493:Education; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D033262:Narration; D020380:Needs Assessment; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Attitude; geriatrics; medical education; narrative reflection; role model; undergraduate