Objectives: This study is a systematic review on stimulators of interest in pursuing a geriatric career among medical students in different countries. The review also assessed whether there were differences or similarities based on geographic regions or income categorisations.
Methods: A 20-year (1998-2018) review of quality primary research articles was conducted (n = 10). For analysis, studies were categorised into low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and high-income countries, based on World Health Organization and World Bank's income grouping for the 2019 fiscal year.
Results: The frequently mentioned stimulators of interest in geriatrics were as follows: cultivating positive attitudes towards older people, participation in geriatric-related interventions and positive experiences during a geriatric training. Lack of published peer-reviewed articles from the LMICs limited the researchers' ability to compare the two income groups.
Conclusion: Suggestions to improve future systematic reviews that consider global factors, global participation or any aspect of global inclusion are discussed.
Keywords: attitudes towards older persons; geriatrics; global ageing; older adults; specialty interest.
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