'Tell Me Your Story' Allows First Interactions With Patient Population for New Medical Students

First-year medical students participated in the "Tell Me Your Story" field trip as part of their introduction to the clinical skills course on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Another group of medical students will visit the facility on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

This exercise involves visiting and interviewing residents of Maple Knoll Retirement Village to hear about their past experiences with health care.

About 175 students will travel to the Springdale facility to not only gain advice about how to be good physicians, but also to form relationships and friendships with people who may one day be patients. Topics of conversation between students and residents at the facility have a large range—from life at Maple Knoll to past physician-patient experiences to favorite pastimes and hobbies.

After students speak with residents of Maple Knoll, they meet in groups with UC faculty and reflect on the stories they have heard and the knowledge gained from the experience.

The program has been in existence for almost eight years, originating from a grant that was awarded to the department of family medicine and being passed on to the division of geriatric medicine.

Gregg Warshaw, MD, director of the division of geriatric medicine, says in this early "patient-encounter” it’s important to show students that the aging population is still vibrant and independent.

"‘Tell Me Your Story’ is a particularly exciting educational experience, especially since the new students’ instructors are healthy, older adults in their 70s, 80s and 90s,” he says. "The older adult volunteers look forward to hosting the medical students in their apartments and cottages, and the new medical students have a chance to learn about medical care from experienced consumers.”