Strength and Influence of Geriatrics Departments in Academic Health Centers

The United States is establishing new medical schools and increasing class size by 30% in response to the predicted increased needs of the baby boom generation, which will retire soon and live longer than prior generations. Society in general and the medical profession in particular are ill equipped to care for the special needs of the elderly. Since the early 1980s, departments of geriatric medicine have been developed in the United States. However, the prevailing U.S. system for the training of physicians in geriatrics is through sections, divisions, or institutes. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of departments of geriatrics, using case examples from three (University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, and University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine) of the extant 11 medical schools in the United States with departments of geriatrics. Commonalities among the three departments include a seat at the planning table in academic life, equal treatment and collaboration with other departments in academic and research program development, and direct access to key decision makers and opportunities for negotiation for funds. Each department has outreach to all undergraduate medical students through its training program. All three departments were launched through the investment of significant resources obtained both internally and externally. The challenge for the future will be to definitively demonstrate the efficacy of the department model versus the more prevalent section, division, and institute approach to training physicians to care for the elderly.