Medical Student Education

Geriatrics in Medical Student Education

Whether or not a medical student chooses to specialize in Geriatrics, geriatric patients and issues will be a central part of their future practice as more baby boomers retire. At MCW, there are many opportunities within and beyond the curriculum to learn more about geriatrics.

Faculty from the Division participate in the following educational activities involving medical students:

Sophomore Medical Students

• Physical Diagnosis Course
• Physiology of Aging Course
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Exam and Reasoning Course(CER)
  

Junior Medical Students

• M-3 Geriatrics Rotation (Medicine Elective)
• Problem-Based Teaching
• Introduction to Long Term Care
• Bedside Rounds
  

Senior Medical Students

• Introduction to Clinical Geriatrics

Geriatrics Curriculum Initiatives
In order to effectively expand medical students' clinical knowledge in the area of geriatrics, the Office of Educational Services, in coordination with the MCW Geriatrics Working Group, has developed a unique, innovative and longitudinal educational approach to be used within our courses/clerkships--a series of five geriatric patient cases dealing with a variety of clinical conditions. The cases, initially developed on paper through a grant from the AAMC/Hartford Foundation, will now be brought to life as "virtual patients" using extensively trained actors who appear as patients and who "age" with each year of the curriculum. This method of presentation allows instructors to demonstrate the progression of health and disease in the elderly, by exploring clinical issues such as: diabetes, stroke, breast cancer, degenerative dementia, osteoporosis, urinary incontinence, and threats to normal/healthy aging. Each patient's condition unfolds over a period of 20-40 years and includes video and audio clips, x-rays, MRI's, interviews with family members and friends, and comments from the patients, allowing for a longitudinal view. The cases are being used to teach both basic science and clinical concepts, and will be interspersed throughout the curriculum via CD ROM and web-based instruction.

View Virtual Patients **
Case 1 - "Mr. Karl Andrews" Atherlosclerosis and associated complications
Case 2 - "Mrs. Esther Dubois" Oncologic illness
Case 3 - "Mr. Clarence Malone" Degenerative dementia
Case 4 - "Mrs. Violetta Tang" Osteoporosis and Urinary Incontinence
Case 5 - "Mr. & Mrs. Fred Clifford" Functional Aging


Student Enrichment Opportunities in Geriatrics

MCW Student Chapter of the American Geriatrics Society
Educational Opportunities
Summer Externships
Summer Electives