The McMaster Model for Geriatric Undergraduate Experience

Undergraduate training at McMaster University medical school is based on small group tutorials and self-directed learning by the students. The undergraduate program is three years in length and had not been altered since its inception in 1969 until a new unit was added in 1985. This includes a two and a half week module involving exposure to geriatric medicine. The class of 100 students is divided into groups of six, with a tutor who is a physician, but not usually a geriatrician. Each student has the opportunity to take a history from and examine an old person. For the class, a plan was developed that involved geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, general internists, and family physicians who served the dual purpose of finding a pool of appropriate geriatric patients, and also provided students with experience in different settings and with elders of varied health status. These experiences were shared with other members of the class, increasing their exposure to the different issues in the limited time available. Other components of the aging subunit are described.