Medical Students
The Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine offers a variety of curricula, clinical rotations, and mentorship opportunities for medical students. See below for a list of offerings, and please reach out to the contacts listed below for more information.
Clinical Experiences
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Fourth-year medical students have an opportunity to interact with older adults in a variety of settings, including:
- The hospital (in our Acute Care for Elders Unit and through our Consultation Service)
- Center on Aging, our ambulatory practice
- Home environments though our House Call program
- A nursing home
Additional areas that may be explored include geriatric psychiatry, neuropsychiatric testing, rehabilitation medicine, palliative medicine, and hospice. Students also participate in Geriatrics Team meetings and are expected to prepare and deliver a lecture to the geriatrics faculty and staff. We attempt to individualize the experience for the student as much as possible.
This elective is only open to Weill Cornell Medicine students and former GPS scholars.
For more information, please contact Dr. Cynthia Lien.
The Area of Concentration (AOC) in Geriatric Medicine offers students a broad exposure to the field of Geriatrics through core didactic lectures as well as participation in a variety of clinical experiences.
The demographic imperative of a rapidly aging population has made Geriatric Medicine an increasingly important area of study. Geriatrics embraces the medical and psychosocial issues challenging older adults with particular focus on function and maximizing quality of life while living with chronic illness. Geriatrics is a rich area of study that affords students the opportunity to explore areas such as neurodegenerative disorders, rehabilitation medicine, psychiatry, pharmacology and palliative medicine, as well as an interprofessional approach to patient care integrating social work, physical/occupational therapy, psychiatry, and more.
Goals and Learning Objectives:
- To understand common geriatric syndromes and how they impact the quality of life of older adults
- To identify the components of a functional assessment and appreciate its importance in caring for older adults
- To recognize and begin to distinguish between common causes of cognitive decline (depression, delirium and dementia) by demonstrating use of the MOCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool) and GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale)
- To appreciate the diversity in aging population and to address issues of ageism
- To appreciate the importance of working within a multi-disciplinary team
- To appreciate the importance of obtaining advanced directives
Contact Faculty:
The Area of Concentration (AOC) in Palliative Medicine encompasses didactics, experiential teaching activities and clinical exposure, and a scholarly project in Palliative Medicine culminating in peer-reviewed dissemination. This AOC will prepare students to be leaders in palliative care throughout the continuum.
Significance: Palliative care is an interdisciplinary medical specialty focused on the prevention and relief of suffering: to provide the best quality of life for patients at any stage of illness, as well as to attend to the needs of their families. Palliative care is offered in conjunction with curative and all other appropriate forms of medical treatment. It concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms through formal assessment and management of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of seriously ill patients and their families.
Goals and Learning Objectives:
- Understand the conceptual framework of palliative care throughout the continuum of illness.
- Demonstrate ability to apply palliative care principles by participating in experiential educational activities and classical exposures with structured feedback.
- Applying research methodology, develop structured research project in palliative medicine that will result in oral and/or written dissemination on a local, regional or national level.
Contact Faculty:
Please contact Dr. Amy Shaw for more information about Geriatrics and Palliative Care Interest Groups.