Department of Medicine

Geriatrics Fellowship Curriculum

Master
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Curriculum Overview

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The BCM Geriatrics Fellowship Program provides robust geriatrics education and training experiences. Each July, fellows participate in a month-long geriatrics immersion course covering core geriatric syndromes and defining goals of care. The intent of this course is to introduce fellows to essential geriatric topics and ensure that they are familiar with many of the issues they will encounter during their clinical rotations. Throughout the remainder of the year, these topics are covered in greater breadth and depth, with trainees participating in Geriatrics grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conference, journal club/research course, medical education series, art of presentation series, case conferences and a board review course.

In addition, fellows collaborate in a group quality improvement project. Recent projects have focused on medication safety in long-term care and standardization of outpatient practices around bone health. Each fellow completes an individual academic project that they present at local and national meetings.

They are also mentored in submitting their work for publication. Fellows typically attend the annual American Geriatrics Society or the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine conference.

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Sample Block Schedule

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Month

Rotation
(1 month, unless specified)

Primary Attending
July

Acute Care Geriatrics (4 weeks)

Houston Methodist Hospital

George Taffet, M.D.
August

VA Home Visits (3 weeks)

Houston Hospice (1 week)

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Meenu Jacobs, M.D.

Elizabeth Strauch, M.D.

September

VA Intermediate Care - Skilled Nursing Facility

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Kristen Gateno, M.D.
October

Harris Health Consults & Home Visits (4 weeks)

Harris Health – Ben Taub Hospital

Kim Johnson, N.P.
November

Neurology – Movement Disorder (2 weeks)

Wound Care (2 weeks)

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Aliya Sarwar, M.D.

Aimee Garcia, M.D.

December

VA Geriatric Psychiatry/GeroPsychology (4 weeks)

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Aaron Short, M.D.
January

Acute Care Geriatrics (4 weeks)

Houston Methodist Hospital

Geraldine Salmeron, M.D.
February

Medical Director (2 weeks)

Academic elective (2 weeks)

Houston Methodist Hospital

Joe Trumble, M.D.
March

Complex Care Coordination Service

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Angela Catic, M.D.
April

Harris Health Consults & Home Visits (4 weeks)

Harris Health – Ben Taub Hospital

Kim Johnson, N.P.
May

Quality Improvement & Patient Safety (2 weeks)

Houston Methodist Hospital

Geriatric Comanagement

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center

Kathryn Agarwal, M.D.

Mahveen Sohail, M.D.

June

VA Hospice and Palliative Care - Consult and Inpatient

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Ursula Braun, M.D.

Note:  Skilled Nursing Facility months include time in Wound Care

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Continuity

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  • VA Outpatient Geriatrics Clinic – ½ day per week, except during Acute Care months. Can be customized based on the interest of trainee.
  • McNair Senior Care Clinic – ½ day per week
  • St. Dominic Village – ½ day every other month
Content

Immersion Course

Date Topic Speaker
Tuesday Physiology of Aging George Taffet
Wednesday Telephonic Call Angela Catic
Tuesday Geriatric Assessment Angela Catic
Wednesday PPC Training Aanand Naik
Thursday End of Life Conversations/LST Note Angela Catic
Tuesday Delirium Kathryn Agarwal
Wednesday Depression and Anxiety in the Elderly Mark Kunik
Thursday Introduction to Dementia Angela Catic
Tuesday Wound Care for the PCP Catalina Macias 
Wednesday Capacity Assessment Aanand Naik
Thursday Pain in the Elderly Ursula Braun