Assessing the Impact of a Geriatric Clinical Skills Day on Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward Geriatrics

Abstract

Background

The aging population requires an improvement in physicians’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills, regardless of their specialty. This study aimed to identify attitude changes of University of Toronto pre-clerkship medical students towards geriatrics after participation in a Geriatric Clinical Skills Day (GCSD).

Methods

This was a before and after study. The GCSD consisted of one large and four small interactive, inter-professional geriatric medicine workshops facilitated by various health professionals. A questionnaire, including the validated UCLA Geriatrics Attitudes Scale, was administered to participating pre-clerkship medical students before and after the GCSD. A one-sample t-test and signed rank parametric test were used to determine attitude changes.

Results

42.1% indicated an interest in Geriatric Medicine, 26.3% in Geriatric Psychiatry, and 63.2% in working with elderly patients. Both pre- and post-mean scores were greater than 3 (neutral), indicating a positive attitude before and after the intervention (p < .001). There was no significant difference in the change in mean total scores (signed rank test p ≥ .12, Student’s t-test p > .11).

Conclusions

The GCSD did not alter pre-clerkship students’ attitudes towards geriatrics. This study adds to geriatric medical education research and warrants further investigation in a larger, multi centred trial.