Training Program: Geriatrics Track

Hollis Day, MD, MS
Director, Geriatrics Track

• The Geriatrics Track, one of only three nationwide, is designed for residents interested in subspecialty training with a geriatrics focus as well as those planning careers in primary care practice. Residents interested in all of the subspecialty areas of medicine are welcome.
• The Department of Medicine includes one of the nation's largest geriatrics divisions, and training opportunities abound, with vertically integrated, state-of-the-art care in every relevant setting. The program runs its own hospitalist service, mobile van, house calls program, and PACE sites (as part of the national Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly).
• Didactic components of training focus on complex medical issues particular to older adults. These include caring for hospitalized geriatric patients, ethical dilemmas and advance directives, screening and preventive medicine in older adults, dementia, and falls.


"The Geriatrics Track is what drew me to this residency program.... We take on patients that the other tracks don't; about half are in nursing homes, while the other half are in home care. We follow these patients during our second and third years of residency, and it's sort of like getting to be their PCP. We get to see the full progress of their health, get to know their families, and engage in the discussion of end-of-life issues."

Sing Tsai, MD
Geriatrics Track

• An emphasis is also placed on the public health side of caring for an aging community. Health care entitlements for older adults, home care, community resources, and health services research for the older population in general as well as its individual segments (older women or minority women, for example) are some of the many topics discussed.
• The breadth of activities and settings allows rotations, both inpatient and outpatient, to be tailored to individual training goals. In addition to geriatrics rotations throughout the 3-year program, as a special clinical experience the residents acquire training in caring for a shared panel of patients in long-term care and home care. The program's large research portfolio and cadre of mentors provide ample opportunity for those interested in pursuing aging-related research.
• The Geriatrics Track, like the other tracks in the Internal Medicine Residency Program, is characterized by close, personal mentoring with faculty.

• A Scholarly Project is part of the Geriatrics Track program. Scholarly Projects include but are not limited to a published article or presentation at a regional or national meeting. The goals of the project are to develop an understanding of clinical research and to acquire some of the basic skills necessary for clinical study, both of which are essential parts to internal medicine training.
• The Department offers several positions in the Geriatrics Track each year. Additional information on this track may be obtained by contacting Dr. Hollis Day. Please visit our How to Apply page for more information about general application procedures.

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