The purpose of this proposal is to develop and implement a curriculum in preventive cardiology that provides learning opportunities for medical students throughout their four years and encourages them as well as faculty and housestaff to participate in a personal health maintenance program. A Steering Committee consisting of faculty, housestaff and students will guide the staff and facilitate development of interest, participation and change in attitude toward the value of prevention of cardiovascular disease. The teaching of preventive cardiology will be integrated into the existing curriculum and patient care activities for medical students by modifying the Medicine and Society and Physical Diagnosis courses for freshmen, adding specific lectures on risk factors and interventions in the Organ System course and follow-up analysis of the health hazard appraisal on families assigned earlier for sophomores, enhancing the teaching of prevention of the attending faculty for junior clinical clerkships and effecting an emphasis on primary care and prevention in the ambulatory care experiences of seniors. In addition, regular seminars will be conducted for students, housestaff and faculty and the Steering Committee will promote electives and research projects in preventive cardiology. Evaluation will include assessment of changes in activities and attitudes among faculty, housestaff and students and performance of students in doing health hazard appraisals and interventions with patients they encounter. A comparison of the performance of Utah graduates will be made with graduates from other medical schools without a preventive cardiology curriculum while they serve as housestaff in the University of Utah Affiliated Hospitals training program. In addition, a """"""""goal-free"""""""" program evaluation will be done by outside consultants.
