Training

EDUCATION /TRAINING

With one of the best residency programmes, the department of geriatric medicine boasts of training its residents extensively in various aspects of health care of elderly. The goal is to create a cadre of health professionals in the care of the older people who would:

1. Provide comprehensive health care and rehabilitation of the elderly
2. Provide undergraduate and postgraduate training
3. Carry out research in geriatrics and gerontology

The MD students (Junior Residents) are posted within the ward of the department for 18 months. During this period they are also posted in High Dependency Unit (HDU) where they manage critically ill patients including those requiring mechanical ventilation following a well-defined protocol (acute care for elderly). Besides the in-patient management, the residents also attend to the patients in OPD and other clinics (memory clinic and fragility fracture clinic). They also learn and perform various short procedures such as thoracocentesis, lumbar puncture, paracentesis, bone marrow biopsy, central line placement etc. during this period.

For the remaining 18 months they are rotated through various medical specialties including 3 months in Intensive Care Unit and 2 months in Emergency Medicine/Medical Casualty. Rotation in other clinical departments includes Cardiology, Neurology, Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders, Nephrology, Hematology, Medical Oncology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Psychiatry and Palliative Medicine. During these rotations, the junior residents attend OPD of the respective department along with their various clinics and additionally take part in ward duties, clinical rounds and patient management. Additionally, they are also posted in Geriatric Day care where they are trained in other aspects of geriatrics including orthogeriatrics, nutrition and physiotherapy.

During the 3 years of residency, the junior residents are also supposed to present various academic presentations including seminars, journal clubs, short clinical lectures and weekly audit. They are also required to submit an original thesis as a partial requirement for MD degree. Additionally, they are encouraged to participate and present in various national and international conferences.

Since its establishment the Department has trained 19 doctors and awarded them MD Geriatric Medicine degree. 

The department also provides scope for registration for PhD in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. Two scholar have been awarded Ph D since inception of the department on 2012.

In addition to postgraduate and PhD training in Geriatric Medicine, the department is also involved in following programs:

1. Training of Medical Officer under National Programme for Health Care of eth Elderly (NPHCE)
2. Short term training of nursing professionals on old age care
3. Long term training to doctors from Army Medical Services of India Army for developing old age care for retired armed forces personnel and family members of armed forces personnel,
4. Theoretical and practical teaching to students of Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Social Gerontology, conducted by Institute of Home Economics, Hauz Khas, New Delhi under the University of Delhi.