The primary objective of the Summer Research Training in Aging for Medical Students grant is to increase the number of physicians who choose to become clinician researchers in aging. Over the next three decades the number of adults age 65 and older in the U.S. is projected to double from 35 million in 2000 to 70 million with minority elders increasing from approximately 16% to 33%. Meeting the health care needs of an aging and culturally diverse population is important and will require training a clinician researcher workforce that is familiar with the research skills and methods necessary to develop strategies to reduce morbidity in all older adults.
The specific aims of the grant are to 1) provide culturally diverse medical students with exposure to geriatric medicine and gerontological research through a didactic, clinical, and research experience, 2) measure the productivity of the medical students who participate in the summer training experience e via the number of abstracts, presentations and publications and 3) ascertain the impact of the program on medical students career choices. The medical students will have an 8 to 12 week experience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine and Centers on Aging and Health. The didactic component consists of lectures and seminars in the following topics; introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics, how to develop a research question, how to find a mentor, responsible conduct of research, demographics of aging, and the biology of frailty. The clinical component (e.g., rehabilitation and ambulatory medicine) allows students to see the practical applications of their research questions. In the research component, the students will complete projects in the following aging areas: basic science, clinical and health services research. The research topics are as follows; 1) diabetes & obesity 2) frailty 3)pulmonary disease 4) physical activity 5) quality of life 6) health disparities and 7) cost of health care services. By reaching medical students early in their career we may be able to increase the number of clinician researchers in aging.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 13 publications
