Inspiring tomorrow’s geriatricians: a qualitative exploration of the facilitators and barriers to medical students choosing geriatric medicine

Education in the care of older people, beginning at undergraduate-level, will help to meet the needs of our aging population. Thus, we need to understand why and in what ways medical students have difficulty engaging with older people and geriatric medicine. Twenty-two medical students studying at the University of Bristol (UK) participated in focus groups, exploring their attitudes toward older people and toward geriatric medicine. Five themes were derived using reflexive thematic analysis. Relationships with older relatives contribute toward students’ perceptions of older patients and can enhance their empathy. However, some compartmentalize personal experiences from professional practice to mitigate moral distress. Students are aware of ageism, and in turn encounter challenging views among the older population, which both present significant challenges. It was clear that career decision-making is multi-faceted; inspiring role models, welcoming learning environments, and undergraduate experience were all important. Critically, undergraduate exposure to the full breadth of geriatric medicine and the spectrum of aging was key to changing students’ negative pre-conceptions about caring for older people and geriatric medicine. Undergraduate medical education offers a crucial point during medical training where we can intervene to improve the attitudes of and inspire career interest in tomorrow’s doctors.