Geriatric Medicine Fellowship

Mission Statement:
The ACGME-accredited Geriatric Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine provides outstanding educational experiences in the discipline of Geriatric Medicine, in a supportive environment of scholarship, integrity and critical thinking. The aim of the fellowship is twofold: (1) to impart to the Geriatric fellows clinical competencies in the assessment and management of the elderly patient with complex medical, psychiatric and social problems, and (2) to provide the basic knowledge and understanding to conduct research in Geriatric Medicine.

Fellows who complete the first clinical year will be able to evaluate and manage a broad spectrum of geriatric syndromes through the entire continuum of care including ambulatory clinic, acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, sub-acute care, long term care, palliative care, PACE and home care. Fellows completing a second, research-focused year will obtain statistical, epidemiologic and research design skills to pursue an academic career in geriatrics.

Requirements:
BC/BE in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine
Full Massachusetts Medical License

Length of Fellowship:
1-2 years (start date July 2010)

Number of Fellows Accepted:
Two per year

Contacts:
Petra Flock MD, Program Director
FlockP@ummhc.org
Kristin Foley DO, Associate Faculty
kristin.foley@umassmemorial.org

Outline of First Year Curriculum:
Current Issues in Aging and Longevity
Preventative Medicine (including community resources)
Approach to the Geriatric Patient
The Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team
Cultural Aspects of Aging
Geriatric Syndromes
Prominent Diseases of the Elderly
Pharmacotherapy
Psychosocial Aspects of Aging
The Economics of Geriatric Care
Ethical and Legal Issues
Geriatric Rehabilitation
Long Term Care
Geriatric Medical Research
Perioperative Assessment and Management
Iatrogenic Disorders
Communication Skills
Home Care
Palliative Care

Research Curriculum Overview:
The Geriatrics Fellowship will provide training in basic research skills, including study design, epidemiology, and critical review of the literature. The curriculum will include formal didactics and supervised scholarly activity. The goal is to enable the fellowship candidate to critically review the medical literature as an independent clinician in order to inform his/her daily practice of medicine.

Weekly case conference series:
On a rotating schedule:

Week 1: Challenging clinical management cases
Week 2: Participation in interdisciplinary team meeting under guidance of faculty
Week 3: Fellow case presentation followed by short didactic presentation
Week 4: Case encountered in clinical setting by fellows, followed by board review of topic identified
             alternately led by faculty and fellow