preparation-respirometric-assessment-mitochondria-isolated-from

Preparation and Respirometric Assessment of Mitochondria Isolated from Skeletal Muscle Tissue Obtained by Percutaneous Needle Biopsy

Respirometric profiling of isolated mitochondria is commonly used to investigate electron transport chain function. We describe a method for obtaining ...

Wake Forest School of Medicine

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the John A. Hartford Foundation published geriatrics competencies for medical students in 2008 defining specific knowledge and skills that medical students should be able to demonstrate before graduation. Medical schools, often with limited geriatrics faculty resources, face challenges in teaching and assessing these competencies. As an initial step to facilitate more-efficient implementation of the competencies, a 1-week geriatrics rotation was developed for the third year using clinical, community, and self-directed learning resources. The Wake Forest University School of Medicine Acute Care for the Elderly Unit serves as home base, and each student selects a half-day outpatient or long-term care experience. Students also perform a home-based falls-risk assessment with a Meals-on-Wheels client. The objectives for the rotation include 20 of the 26 individual AAMC competencies and specific measurable tracking tasks for seven individual competencies. In the evaluation phase, 118 students completed the rotation. Feedback was positive, with an average rating of 7.1 (1 = worst, 10 = best). Students completed a 23-item pre- and post-knowledge test, and average percentage correct improved by 15% (P < .001); this improvement persisted at graduation (2 years after the pretest). On a 12-item survey of attitudes toward older adults, improvement was observed immediately after the rotation that did not persist at graduation. Ninety-seven percent of students documented completion of the competency-based tasks. This article provides details of development, structure, evaluation, and lessons learned that will be useful for other institutions considering a brief, concentrated geriatrics experience in the third year of medical school.

Teaching medical student geriatrics competencies in 1 week: an efficient model to teach and document selected competencies using clinical and community resources.

The church is a focal point for health education efforts in minority communities due to its status as one of the most prominent and stable institutions. This paper highlights an approach for identifying health programming targets in minority churches.

Utility of a congregational health assessment to identify and direct health promotion opportunities in churches.

To compare the regional differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue hormone/cytokine production in abdominally obese women during weight loss.

Regional adipose tissue hormone/cytokine production before and after weight loss in abdominally obese women.

Falls are a critical public health issue for older adults, and falls risk assessment is an expected competency for medical students. The aim of this study was to design an innovative method to teach falls risk assessment using community-based resources and limited geriatrics faculty. The authors developed a Fall Prevention Program through a partnership with Meals-on-Wheels (MOW). A 3rd-year medical student accompanies a MOW client services associate to a client's home and performs a falls risk assessment including history of falls, fear of falling, medication review, visual acuity, a Get Up and Go test, a Mini-Cog, and a home safety evaluation, reviewed in a small group session with a faculty member. During the 2010 academic year, 110 students completed the in-home falls risk assessment, rating it highly. One year later, 63 students voluntarily completed a retrospective pre/postsurvey, and the proportion of students reporting moderate to very high confidence in performing falls risk assessments increased from 30.6% to 87.3% (p < .001). Students also reported using most of the skills learned in subsequent clerkships. A single educational intervention in the MOW program effectively addressed geriatrics competencies with minimal faculty effort and could be adopted by many medical schools.

Utilizing a Meals on Wheels program to teach falls risk assessment to medical students.

Falls threaten the ability of older adults to live independently in the community. Fortunately, national and state organizations have created tools that allow primary care providers to easily assess fall risk, and small changes in practice patterns can provide patients with the resources necessary to prevent falls, thus helping to reverse a costly, deadly epidemic.

Jamehl L. Demons

Department of Internal Medicine,
Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine,
Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

Wake Forest School of Medicine

Preparation and Respirometric Assessment of Mitochondria Isolated from Skeletal Muscle Tissue Obtained by Percutaneous Needle Biopsy

Jamehl L. Demons

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Internal Medicine,Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine,Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

Wake Forest School of Medicine

Preparation and Respirometric Assessment of Mitochondria Isolated from Skeletal Muscle Tissue Obtained by Percutaneous Needle Biopsy

Department of Internal Medicine,
Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine,
Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine