Subspecialty Careers: Highlights about Careers in Internal Medicine: Geriatric Medicine
The Discipline
From the Greek word geron, "an old man," and iatreia, "the treatment of disease."
Geriatric medicine involves the recognition of differences in presentation of disease and the importance of maintaining functional independence in elderly patients. Geriatrics is a primary care discipline oriented toward preventive, routine, acute, and chronic medical care of elderly patients.
Procedures
Important procedural skills include cognitive assessment, functional assessment, gait assessment, home safety assessment, motor vehicle driving assessment, and needs assessment on hospital discharge, including rehabilitation.
Training
Geriatric fellowship training requires 12 months of accredited training beyond general internal medicine residency.
Training Positions
For the 2010-2011 academic year, there are 105 ACGME-accredited
training programs in Geriatric Medicine with 290 active positions.
Thirty-two percent of the trainees are female and 64% are U.S.
medical graduates.
Certification
The offers subspecialty certification in Geriatrics.
Major Professional Societies
The Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 801
New York, NY 10118
(212) 308-1414
1030 15th Street, NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 842-1275
Major Publications