The Effect of Social Practice Activity to Older Adults on Medical Students: A two-Year Follow-up Survey

Introduction In the context of an ageing population, the demand for specialized health services for older adults is increasing rapidly, but the number of physicians capable of providing these specialized services is extremely limited. This study aims to explore the impact of a social practice intervention program for older adults on medical students’ future career choices. Methods A total of 558 students majoring in clinical medicine at the Clinical College of Anhui Medical University were divided into 2 groups, an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group performed social practice activity for older adults, whereas the control group did not. A multidimensional assessment, including self-evaluation, course participation, course performance and career development, was administered to evaluate the impact on students over 2 years. Chi-square (χ 2 ) tests and t tests were performed in SPSS. P < .05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results Social practice activities increased medical students’ interest in learning ( P < .05) and influenced their future career choices ( P < .05). Conclusions Regular social practice activity for older adults may enable more medical students to potentially become geriatricians and neurologists in the future, thereby contributing to healthy ageing.