Medical students’ experiences of the Senior Citizen Partnership Program: Evaluation of a five-year longitudinal program

Abstract

Purpose

This article reports on an evaluation which explored students’ experiences with a Senior Citizen Partnership Program (SCPP). This was implemented in 2017 as part of Curtin Medical School’s curriculum to support students’ learning about healthy ageing.

Methods

This mixed methods study reports a cross-section of attitudes and content analyses of (i) open-ended responses from 258 students and (ii) transcriptions from seven focus group discussions which allowed 33 students from first, fourth and fifth years to articulate their experiences of the SCPP and its impact on their training.

Results

Three main themes were identified: (i) challenges to prior perceptions of older adults (with ten subthemes), (ii) positive impacts on their medical education (with eight subthemes) and (iii) on their personal development (with five subthemes). Overall, students viewed the SCPP as a valuable contribution to their learning. Its intentional creation of a designated space and time coincided with students’ transition into adulthood and formation as a doctor. Clinical-year students attributed the SCPP to improved interpersonal communication and care of older patients.

Conclusion

A longitudinal program which partners students with residential-based older adults may support the emerging identity of a doctor who provides quality care for older persons.

Keywords:

• Experiential learning
• identity formation
• longitudinal program
• medical students
• older adults

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by an award in 2021 from Curtin Medical School’s Seed Fund. Thanks are extended to Jodie Ween for her review of the manuscript.

Notes on contributors

Ute Hauck

Ute Hauck, PhD, MD, is a Medical Doctor Senior Lecturer at Curtin Medical School and the School of Medicine University of Notre Dame Fremantle. She completed her PhD (Medicine) at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg Germany and was accredited as a Specialist Anaesthetist. To further enhance her educational expertise, Dr Hauck successfully completed the Graduate Certificate of Health Professional Education at the University of Notre Dame Fremantle in 2016. Dr Hauck actively engages in Scholarship and Innovation, such as her development of the Senior Citizen Partnership Program. She is also involved in developing the simulated patient training program for second- and third-year medical students at Curtin Medical School to act as simulated patients for Year 1 students. Dr Hauck is engaged in the Medic Vert research program at Curtin Medical School. Her research interests are in the community engagement of medical students and empowering students to actively contribute to efficient and reflective learning.

Felicity Roux

Felicity Roux, PhD candidate MATS BSc (Hons), is a Research Officer at Curtin Medical School. Her responsibilities include internal monitoring and evaluation of the School’s Teaching and Learning. This involves engagement with medical students to understand and report their learning experiences. She is completing her PhD in Population Health using mixed methods. Her research interests include experiential learning, longitudinal studies and identity formation.

Denise Demmer

Denise Demmer, PhD, BSc (Hons), is an Assessment Officer at Curtin Medical School. She is involved in implementing the School’s written assessment program across all MBBS cohorts and coordinates the workplace based assessment program for Years 4 and 5. She completed her PhD (Medicine) in Epidemiology at University of Western Australia. Her research interests include competency based medical education and assessment, growth mindset, and experiential and reflective learning.