Overcoming ageism one student at a time
Mentoring programs improve student attitudes toward older patients
Publish date: December 1, 2004
Marie Bernard, MD
Marie Bernard, MD
Treating patients, particularly older frail and dependent patients who can at times be difficult or belligerent, is often not easy. Helping medical students understand that the majority of aged individuals are not necessarily frail and dependent (ie, overcoming biased attitudes), has become a necessary educational construct in a society that is ever more focused on the young.