A new course in age-based medicine at the University Medical Center of Nijmegen

In 1995 the Medical Faculty of the University Medical Center of Nijmegen revised its curriculum to be more problem-oriented and student-centered. Each of the first four years now consists of ten four-week courses constructed around specific learning objectives. For the new curriculum the authors developed a fourth-year course on age-related health problems in which selected issues of pediatrics, general practice, and geriatrics are integrated. The primary objective of this course is to enable students to understand the differences and similarities in approaches to health problems in different age groups. Moreover, by the end of the course students should be able to analyze the physical, psychological, and social aspects of age-specific medical problems and understand their consequences for prevention and treatment. The course covers age-specific health concerns (e.g., neonatal jaundice, growth problems, sudden infant death syndrome, anorexia nervosa, dementia, multiple pathology, frailty) as well as important age-related differences in pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment (e.g., acute abdomen, constipation, maltreatment, urinary incontinence, pharmacokinetics). Based on assessments and evaluations after the first three implementations, the authors conclude that the enthusiastically received course is an effective introduction to age-specific health problems.