Abstract
BackgroundWhile the demand for doctors specialised in the medical care of elderly patients is increasing, the interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics is lagging behind.MethodsTo get an overview of the different factors reported in the literature that affect the (low) interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics, a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Quality assessment criteria were applied.ResultsTwenty studies met the criteria and were included in the review.In relation to the nature of the work, the preference of medical students is young patients, and acute somatic diseases that can be cured. The complexity of the geriatric patient deters students from choosing this specialty. Exposure by means of pre-clinical and particularly clinical education increases interest. The lack of status and the financial aspects have a negative influence on interest.ConclusionExposure to geriatrics by means of education is necessary. The challenge in geriatric education is to show the rewarding aspects of the specialty.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-015-0384-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
While the demand for doctors specialised in the medical care of elderly patients is increasing, the interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics is lagging behind
One solution to meet the health care needs of the growing number of elderly is to increase the number of doctors specialized in the medical care of elderly people
Many publications concerned the evaluation of educational programmes and/or the attitude of the medical student in relation to the elderly or the elderly patient
Summary
While the demand for doctors specialised in the medical care of elderly patients is increasing, the interest among medical students for a career in geriatrics is lagging behind. Healthcare has to be arranged for the increasing proportion of older people in the population. According to the United Nations the number of people over 80 is likely to quadruple in most countries, reaching 400 million by 2050 [1]. One solution to meet the health care needs of the growing number of elderly is to increase the number of doctors specialized in the medical care of elderly people. The main problem is that the interest among medical students in a career in geriatrics is lagging behind.
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