Transitioning from Multidisciplinary to Interdisciplinary Education in Gerontology and Geriatrics

This article examines the growing interest in interdisciplinary education in gerontology and geriatrics and acknowledges the tension between unidisciplinary approaches and interdisciplinary approaches. Multidisciplinary efforts are seen as the logical step toward truly interdisciplinary ventures. Using a systems model, the article describes the inputs, process, outputs and barriers to process and outputs of interdisciplinary education. Indicators of each of these components of the systems model are proposed. Some suggestions are made for addressing the barriers and successfully implementing these innovative educational programs.