βNew Hampshire Union Leaderβ article highlights 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs leadership in geriatrics education

A New Hampshire Union Leader article titled, βUsing virtual reality to teach medical students empathy for elders,β sheds light on the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs extensive commitment to educating students in providing health care for older adults.
The article describes the innovative βWe are Alfredβ virtual reality experience the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν College of Osteopathic Medicine is using to teach medical students empathy toward older adults. Through the program, students experience life as a 74 year-old man with macular degeneration and hearing loss.
"It really puts in perspective what the patient is going through, and you don't really understand it until you experience it," second-year medical student Emily Szuba stated in the article. "Emotionally, it was very difficult and even though you are only Alfred for a few minutes, he still really sticks."
The article points out that the program is just one of many that contributed to 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν being recognized as an Age Friendly University (AFU) by the international Age Friendly University Global Network, which highlights the role higher education plays in meeting the challenges and opportunities of an aging population. The network is led by Dublin City University with support in the United States from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. The article states that 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν medical students are required to spend 34 hours on geriatrics in their first two years, which is nearly seven times what most medical schools require.
The Union Leader published a second article titled, βTeaching medical students through personal stories of caring, dying,β about research efforts at 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½ν to collect stories about caregiving and dying in order to build a database for medical students. According to Professor Marilyn Gugliucci, Ph.D., the project aims to teach students about the humanity of aging and dying. "It's a way to honor their lives and teach students from the older adults' perspective," she said.
To learn more about the 911±¬ΑΟΝψΊμΑμ½νβs College of Osteopathic Medicine, visit
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