The attitudinal impact of training in gerontology/geriatrics in medical school: a review of the literature and perspective.

The authors review the literature regarding the effect of education on medical student attitudes toward patient care and toward geriatric patient care in particular. The ability of gerontologic/geriatric programs to foster positive attitudes toward the elderly has been modest. Empathically oriented programs that stress the establishment of contact with healthy, functioning older persons, however, may be twice as effective as cognitively oriented programs that stress the acquisition of technical knowledge. The societal, institutional, and intra/interpersonal forces that work to facilitate or limit the impact of such programs are discussed, and the potential for educational intervention is assessed.