Abstract
Over the last 20 years, older people have served as teachers for students as part of the formal curriculum in geriatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In recent years, we have supported a more in-depth, longitudinal experience that connects medical students with elders in the community. The program was initiated as a special project of our Aging Interest Group and is called the Senior Companionship Program (SCP). Although the SCP is optional, when combined with the required experiences for medical students, it triples the contact time that students have with older adults in community settings. The student-run SCP is fostering positive attitudes towards older adults. Comments from participating students indicate that the SCP is a valuable experience, and well worth their time commitment. We describe the program structure, changes to the program based upon the input of participants, as well as the program's strengths, limitations, and prospects.
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