Although the aged are the country's major users of medical care and social services, traditional medical school curricula devote little time to the aged and their social needs. This article reports on a community-based gerontology internship established for pre-clinical medical students to sensitize them to the needs of the elderly in the community. Students were assigned to community agencies servicing the elderly; working with elderly clients, they learned about needs and services. Students, agency staff and program faculty found the internship a meaningful, consciousness-raising experience, and an excellent vehicle for preparing future physicians to interact with and care for their aged patients.
