MD Program & Geriatrics
The goals of the geriatrics thread are to ensure Feinberg medical students understand the unique needs of vulnerable older adult patients and integrate this content across four curricular phases. A number of geriatric topics are taught within other modules and clerkships (such as dementia and delirium on the Psychiatry module and clerkship) throughout the phases.
Phase 1
During Phase 1 (M1/M2 years), the Geriatric Assessment Clinical Correlation session orients students to specific history taking and physical exam skills needed when seeing older patients. As part of the session, a patient from our geriatrics practice is interviewed in front of students in a large lecture hall and several geriatric cognitive and functional assessments are demonstrate.
Phase 2
During Phase 2 (M3 year), most of the geriatrics content is delivered during the two-week Integrated Primary Care Block. Students participate in an interactive Fall Risk and Gait assessment session with a geriatrics faculty member. Students apply what they learned in their Education-Centered Medical Home (ECMH), their longitudinal, immersive primary care clerkship, and are assessed on this content during the ECMH objective structured clinical examination. Students also have the opportunity during the block to rotate in the geriatrics clinic and go on home visits with one of the providers.
Phase 3
During the medicine clerkship, students have a workshop on mobility assessment with physical therapy. Specifically in the Phase 3 clerkships, students on Emergency Medicine work with the interprofessional team from the Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations (GEDI) program to evaluate older adults for geriatric syndromes.
Phase 4
The M4 Capstone course includes content on pain management and difficult conversations and advance directives.