Undergraduate geriatric education in foreign countries

Abstract

In Japan, which has become a super-aged society, medical care for the elderly is more important than ever before. Geriatric education for medical students and young doctors is essential to ensure the best medical care possible for the elderly. In this paper, the Working Group for Education of the Japan Geriatrics Society collected and analyzed data and information on undergraduate education in the fields of geriatrics and gerontology at medical schools in various countries through the Internet, comparing the findings with those in Japan. Of the countries surveyed, 62% had undergraduate education in geriatrics and gerontology as mandatory subjects in medical school. Countries with advanced welfare programs, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada and New Zealand, performed substantial undergraduate education in geriatrics and gerontology. A lack of available staff and time for education was cited as a hurdle in many countries. The importance of education in geriatrics and gerontology is being emphasized in many countries, but few programs are satisfactory at present. The "struggle" to improve undergraduate education in geriatrics and gerontology therefore continues. We should endeavor to improve education in the fields of geriatrics and gerontology by working hand in hand with geriatricians and gerontologists around the world.