Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Inquiry Methodology Program at the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2021 Jul-Sep;42(3):423-436. doi: 10.1080/02701960.2020.1724997. Epub 2020 Feb 3.
Ghana has one of the fastest growing aging populations in sub-Sahara Africa, but little is known about the geriatric workforce. A sample of 12 medical students in one Ghanaian public university participated in an exploratory qualitative study to share their perspectives on specialty choices in Ghana, interest in working with older patients, and their consideration of geriatrics for future practice. The findings revealed limited knowledge of geriatrics as well as low interest in its selection as a specialty for future practice. These were attributable to multi-faceted factors, including the lack of both exposure to geriatric medicine and geriatrics-focused training for students in this institution. It is critical that geriatric education be prioritized and incorporated in medical schools to nurture students' interest and future consideration of the specialty. This will help bolster the number of geriatric-oriented physicians and secure specialized care for the aging population.
加纳是撒哈拉以南非洲人口老龄化速度最快的国家之一，但对于老年医学工作者的了解甚少。加纳一所公立大学的 12 名医学专业学生参与了一项探索性的定性研究，以分享他们对加纳专业选择的看法、对与老年患者合作的兴趣，以及对未来从事老年医学的考虑。研究结果显示，学生对老年医学的了解有限，对选择老年医学作为未来专业的兴趣也较低。这些归因于多方面的因素，包括学生在该机构缺乏接触老年医学和老年医学为重点的培训。优先考虑并将老年医学纳入医学院教育以培养学生对该专业的兴趣和未来考虑至关重要。这将有助于增加以老年医学为重点的医生数量，并为老年人口提供专业护理。
