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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Medical Students Making House Calls for the Elderly
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE Fla. — Those who say the doctor doesn’t make house calls anymore have obviously never spoken to a Nova Southeastern University medical student.
Students from NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine are making regular visits to the homes of senior citizens to check on their medical conditions. These visits, which are part of the students’ medical curriculum, allow them to not only assess the person’s medical condition, but also the environmental factors that affect them.
For example, visiting a person’s home allows the students to learn whether the individual is overweight and needs special assistance to visit the doctor, or perhaps the person needs a caregiver and doesn’t have one. The students also visit seniors that live in dilapidated housing that negatively impacts their physical and emotional health.
In order to allow students to have this hands-on training experience, NSU’s medical school joined forces with the Aging Disability Resource Center of Broward County, which has been making regular home visits to the elderly.
Between four to six medical students make personal house calls about once a month to assess this at-risk population.
“Walking into the home of a person whom you’ve never met and obtaining highly guarded personal information about the individual’s health and surrounding circumstances is truly a once-of-a-lifetime experience,” said Chris Bailey, a third-year medical student. “The exposure to this world of medicine is powerful.”
Media Contact:
Ken Ma, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5308 (office), 954-830-4177 (cell), ken.ma@nova.edu