Geriatric patients are at increased risk for complications from delirium or falls during hospitalization. Medical education, however, generally places little emphasis on the hazards of hospitalization for older inpatients. Geriatricians conducted a faculty development workshop for hospitalists about the hazards of hospitalization for geriatric…

This paper compares two models of undergraduate geriatric medical education utilizing senior mentoring programs. Descriptive, comparative multiple-case study was employed analyzing program documents, archival records, and focus group data. Themes were compared for similarities and differences between the two program models. Findings indicate that…

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UMMSM) has developed and implemented a competency-based undergraduate medical education (UME) curriculum that targets 61 learning objectives for three geriattic syndromes: dementia, falls, and delirium. This curriculum redesign changed the educational focus from what is taught to what is learned.…

Reviews the present status of geriatrics in academic medicine and suggests that an understanding of academic medicine is needed in order to secure the institutionalization of geriatric medicine. Offers some predictions on the future of geriatric medicine. (JAC)

We redesigned our medical school's Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum to include a substantial increase in required geriatrics content. Innovations included new PBL health care problems and standardized patients (SPs) throughout the first three years and a new required four-week, fourth-year rotation. We used data from the AAMC Medical School…

Describes how, as the population of elderly people continues to grow, medical schools are beefing up geriatrics programs to prepare students for their future patients. (EV)

Since 1988, a special interest group in geriatrics has provided students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine a forum for pursuing research interests, networking, and interacting with faculty. Such groups foster interest in careers in geriatric medicine. (SK)

Third-year medical students (n=67) conducted structured functional assessments of elderly patients and completed diagnostic/therapeutic plans. Students averaged seven problems and four recommendations per patient. Significant increases in their knowledge of and comfort with comprehensive geriatric assessment were found. (Contains 25 references.)…

Discusses the following: barriers to geriatrics education, teaching strategies (such as communication with patients, acceptance of one's own aging, interdisciplinary teamwork), and curriculum design for undergraduate and graduate study. (Contains 26 references.) (SK)

A survey of the 60 American dental schools was conducted to determine the extent of existing and planned programs in geriatric dentistry. All respondents indicated that they either conduct a gerontology program or plan to conduct one in the future; various educational approaches were reported. (MLW)

Purpose: This study aims to develop ah in-depth understanding of the issues important to primary care physicians in providing care to cognitively impaired elders. Design and Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 primary care physicians. Text coded as "cognitive impairment" was retrieved and analyzed by use of grounded theory analysis…

General practitioners (GPs) need advanced skills in geriatric assessment to be competent to treat the increasing number of elderly patients. Continuing medical education in geriatrics for GPs is heterogeneous, and not assessed for effectiveness. In this study we compared the educational effects of three geriatric post-graduate training methods on…

The rapidly growing older population has generated the need for more gerontological or geriatric care professionals. This study evaluated the undergraduate programs offered by the departments of medicine, nursing studies and social work at a university in Hong Kong, based on the data of a recent alumni survey. It also identified factors that…

Recent studies by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Rand Corporation have suggested that most physicians in the United States are inadequately trained to cope with the care of the elderly, in spite of the fact that over 11% of the population is over age 65. At present, nearly 30% of all health care…

Discusses a review of geriatric and gerontology service, teaching, and research. Lists major characteristics of the service programs and further aims for medical education in geriatrics. (Author/ABB)