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During a Special Study Module in our first year of clinical medicine at Leicester University, we were involved in the process of a clinical audit entitled, “Appropriate Prescribing in Older Patients”.

The research plan and initiation came courtesy of Dr Simon Conroy, who was the clinical lead for the Special Study Module. This was our first such research project and it gave us the chance to develop skills not necessarily formally taught, such as data analysis.

After submitting our abstract to the BGS, we were both thrilled to be informed that it had been accepted for presentation as a poster at the Autumn 2009 meeting. Feeling both excited and intimidated, we did not know what to expect, other than the fact that we would be presenting to high profile clinicians and academics. The process of presenting the poster turned out to be nerve racking but exhilarating. The experience was fantastic and was made easier by each assessor’s friendly and approachable manner and also interest in our work.

We must acknowledge that if we had not secured the medical student and junior doctor grant, none of this would have been possible. It led to our meeting many influential and knowledgeable clinicians. Not only did we get to present our poster, but it was of great interest to be present at the many lectures and other scientific presentations over the two days. Witnessing the arena where future ideas and plans for medicine in the elderly are set out has inspired us both to take our precious experience further and, subsequently, we wish to be a part of much more clinical research.

We believe that geriatric medicine will play a large part in our medical career, regardless of our final choice of specialty. During the conference, we were asked the question ‘how could geriatric medicine be made more attractive to medical students?’ Many medical students start their careers with a strong attraction to the “blood and gore” of surgery or the adrenaline rush of the emergency department, but we feel it is not until one has exposed oneself to an array of experiences that the subtleties of medicine become clear. For us, this whole process has more than highlighted the importance of elderly care.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all at the British Geriatrics Society for your generosity, warmth and support.

James Dearman and David Clutton
Medical Students
University of Leicester

BGS Newsletter, February 2010
Issue 25 ISSN 1748-634000 25