Geriatrics

Education ─  Fellowships

Center of Excellence in Geriatrics

Director: Rebecca A. Silliman, MD, PhD

The Section of Geriatrics of the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine with funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation has established a Center of Excellence in Geriatrics. The Center has attracted outstanding physicians to careers as geriatrically-oriented faculty and has produced future leaders in geriatrics education, research, and administration, clinicians skilled in geriatric care, and providers with competency in geriatric care. We prepare fellows in geriatric medicine for faculty positions by providing formal training in teaching skills, evidence-based medicine, and clinical research. We also provide special training for fellows in general internal medicine to equip them with the skills needed to teach geriatric content.

Program Structure
Building on our strong fellowship program in Geriatric Medicine, we provide faculty development modules to enhance the experience of trainees during their training.

1. Geriatrics Content Module. Small-group, interactive seminars address topics in geriatric medicine, using a case-based, evidence-based approach to the extent possible. Topics include: geriatric assessment and multidisciplinary teams, health promotion and disease prevention, cognitive impairment, mobility disorders and falls, substance abuse, elder abuse, urinary incontinence, polypharmacy, the biology of aging, and additional topics to be determined by the Scholars themselves.

2. Clinical Teaching Module. This module is based on the clinical educator curriculum developed by the Stanford Faculty Development Program. It consists of seven interactive seminars over approximately two months, covering the following topics: 1) Learning Climate; 2) Control of Session; 3) Communication of Goals; 4) Understanding and Retention; 5) Evaluation; 6) Feedback; and 7) Self-directed Learning.

3. Evidence Based Medicine Module. This module consists of training in the techniques of evidence-based medicine and provides guidance in developing skills for the finding, filtering and judging of relevant clinical medical information. Four sessions will be conducted in which Scholars learn: 1) to derive focused questions from patient care problems; 2) to use MEDLINE in a productive and time-efficient manner to retrieve information related to the question; 3) to review articles critically, emphasizing the concepts of internal and external validity; and 4) to apply information thus obtained to answer the specific clinical questions.

4. Health Care Systems Module. In order to develop and successfully administer academic clinical programs, geriatrics and generalist faculty need better understanding of administrative and management issues. This module includes: 1) health care systems and the impact of environmental factors on clinical programs and practice; 2) clinical, financial and ethical aspects of managed care in geriatric practice; 3) fundamentals of health care finance and reimbursement systems; and 4) operational management and quality improvement.