Director: Rebecca A. Silliman, MD, PhD

Co-Director: Sharon A. Levine, MD

Co- Director: Lisa B. Caruso, MD, MPH

In 1998, the Geriatrics Section at BUSM became a Center of Excellence in Geriatrics (COE) funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. The purpose of this faculty development program  is to attract outstanding physicians to careers as geriatrically oriented faculty. It is designed to produce future leaders in geriatric education, research, and administration, produce clinicians skilled in geriatric care, and assist in the education and training of generalists with competency in geriatric care in order to meet the health needs of increasing numbers of elderly. This program also aims to support primary care and geriatrics clinician-educators in the acquisition of credentials needed for faculty promotion and retention. Our COE focus is considered to be very innovative by the Hartford Foundation.

Faculty Scholars are trained for one year in the clinical, scientific and educational skills necessary to become effective teachers of geriatric medicine. Our geriatric medicine fellows join our faculty scholars in the Geriatric Clinical Content Module, the Evidence-based Medicine Module, the Stanford Faculty Development Program Clinical Teaching Module, and the Health Care Systems Module. Together these modules extend over an nine-month period of time, taking place on one morning each week.

Inclusive of our current faculty scholars, we have trained faculty members: from disciplines that range from dentistry, urology, otolaryngology, emergency medicine and rehabilitation medicine to family and general internal medicine.  Support from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation also enabled several surgeons to participate in the program.

Program for Faculty Scholars

The Center has attracted outstanding physicians to careers as geriatrically oriented faculty and has produced future leaders in geriatric education, research, and administration. Link to read more…

Program for Fellows

We prepare fellows in geriatric medicine for faculty positions by providing formal training in teaching skills, the science of clinical medicine, and clinical research.  Link to read more…

Application Process

We accept four to six Faculty Scholars each year.  Each Scholar is supported by a financial award to support his/her participation.  Each applicants is asked to provide a personal statement that outlines career goals and the ways in which participation in the Scholars Program will facilitate achievement of these goals, a Curriculum Vitae, and a letter of reference from the Division/Section Chief, Department Chair, or Medical Director, who must provide assurance that the applicant will be given sufficient protected time to participate meaningfully as a Faculty Scholar.

Applications are reviewed by a committee composed of Drs. Rebecca Silliman, Sharon Levine, and Lisa Caruso.  Selection is based on the applicant’s potential to develop into a leader in academic geriatric medicine; evidence of the applicant’s commitment to such a goal; and evidence that the applicant’s section, department, or institution is supportive of and committed to such a goal as well as to the development of academic activities in geriatric medicine.