Geriatric HealthScholarly Concentration

With a growing aging population, there is an increased need for physicians that have the specialized skills to provide excellent geriatric care in all settings. Elderly patients usually have multiple health problems, disease complications and functional failure.

Our Geriatric Health Scholarly Concentration provides knowledge of these issues that can help physicians differentiate normal aging from disease, face the challenge of multimorbidity, avoid iatrogenesis, and optimize older adults' independence and quality of life. Such knowledge can also position physicians to help identify system-based problems that help to make healthcare safer and more responsive to the needs of chronically ill and frail.

Goals

• Increase students' knowledge base and sensitivity to the issues of aging adults.
• Introduce the principles of inpatient, outpatient, nursing home, and home care for older adults.
• Facilitate research activities and critical thinking.
• Strengthen programs to stimulate lifelong medical student interest in geriatrics.

Objectives

• Describe and perform with supervision the management of chronic, complex, and multiple illnesses in older patients.
• Gain interview skills in order to communicate effectively with older patients and their families' utilizing accommodations for culture and educational level.
• Assist patients in establishing goals of care and priorities.
• Comprehend how to use health system services on behalf of senior citizens.
• Confidently care for hospitalized and community dwelling older people throughout the spectrum of health (from healthy independent people to those approaching the end-of-life).

Eligibility

All students enrolled in the John Sealy School of Medicine are eligible.

Documentation

• Geriatric Track Application Form
• Geriatric Track Program Brochure