A Geriatrics Curriculum for First Year Medical Students

A geriatrics continuity of care experience for all first year medical students is in its third year of implementation at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. Classroom instruction in geriatrics is combined with a series of visits to the home of a healthy volunteer over the age of 65, called a “senior professor.” The program addresses the demand for physicians trained in geriatrics and seeks to modify negative attitudes found among physicians in training toward caring for older patients. Student evaluation of the course is favorable, and an attitudinal survey shows improvement in “comfort with older people” and “interest in research in geriatrics.” The process of designing, implementing, evaluating, and revising the course is described.