Geriatrics

Education ─ Medical Students

The Geriatrics/Home Medical Care Rotation, a required fourth year clerkship, may be taken at an off-site location with permission of the course director. The following criteria must be met:

1. The rotation (4 weeks required) must be at an established geriatrics program.
   
   
2. The majority of the clinical time should be based at a rehabilitation unit, a nursing home, an outpatient clinic or a home care program (or a combination of these sites).
   
   
3. The clinical experience must include exposure to community services/resources and home medical care for the elderly. Clinical activities in this context might include a combination of the following: accompanying physicians or other health care providers such as visiting nurses on home visits, attending an adult day health program, spending time at an outpatient hospice program, and/or visiting alternative housing for the elderly, such as assisted living.
   
   
4. The student must have exposure to working with an interdisciplinary team. The team should, at the least, include a physician and a nurse, but preferably should also include a social worker, physical therapist and other health care providers.
   
   
5. The student is expected to learn about the major topics in geriatrics, including (but not limited to) dementia, urinary incontinence, polypharmacy, falls/gait disorders and functional assessment.
   
   
6. For rotations arranged locally (Boston-area), which may have only a limited number of clinical sessions per week available to accommodate guest students, some didactic sessions offered by the BUSM Section of Geriatrics on-campus will also be required.
   
   
7. Off-site rotations must be approved by the Clerkship Director at least one month prior to start of the student's assigned block for Geriatrics/Home Medical Care.
   
   

The following paperwork needs to be turned in for the clerkship director's final approval:

• Description of Program
• Letter of Acceptance from Program Coordinator or Director assuring
  that the requirements will be met
• Add/Drop Form
• Required Rotation Substitution Approval Form

For more information, please contact:

Education and Training Program Coordinator
Robinson Complex, 2nd Floor, Room 2700
Phone: 617.638.6155
Fax: 617.638.8387