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The DO, an online news outlet of the American Osteopathic Association, on March 29, 2011 published a on the 91��ý College of Osteopathic Medicine's 'Learning by Living' program, which immerses medical students interested in geriatrics into nursing homes as residents for two weeks to get a patient's view of geriatric care. The story focused on 91��ýCOM second-year medical student Matthew Sharbaugh, who spent 12 days as a resident of Old Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea, Mass.

The “Learning by Living” project was designed and piloted by Marilyn Gugliucci, Ph.D, 91��ý College of Osteopathic Medicine director of geriatric education and research, in 2005.  Since that time, more than a dozen medical students have been “admitted” into nursing homes to live the life of an elder nursing home resident for two weeks – 24/7 – complete with a medical diagnosis and standard procedures of care.

Following his stay, Sharbaugh reflected that “A lot of times health care professionals view patients as merely a diagnosis. But there’s a whole life behind that condition. Providing good patient care involves a lot more than knowing the correct medicine to provide. It means making the effort to connect with every patient. If you have a stroke patient and all you see is the diagnosis, well, you might be missing the fact that this guy used to be a runner. And now, not being able to walk is about the worst thing that can happen to him. As that person’s physician, you need to be aware of that.”