Students applying for this elective should contact the course director, Dr. Bial (andrea.bial@va.gov), in order to customize the elective experience to your particular interests.

Students should contact Dr. Bial at least one week in advance of the elective start date.

The Geriatric Medicine rotation is an excellent introduction to a field of medicine that the student likely will not receive training in at any other time during their medical school career.  The population of older adults in the U.S. is continuing to increase, and it is critically important to understand the basic tenets of the field regardless of what aspect of adult medicine the student ultimately chooses. Students will be exposed to the care of older adults in a variety of settings at the Hines VA Hospital, as well as be able to participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and educational seminars. Ideally the student will begin to understand the complexities and rewards involved in caring for frail older adults, including issues surrounding the geriatric syndromes, such as polypharmacy, multimorbidity, depression, dementia, delirium, frailty, and falls.

Training sites include the VA Geriatrics Clinic and Community Living Center (CLC)—both in Building 217 and the inpatient Geriatric Evaluation and Management unit (11WTC), located in the main hospital (Building 200). Home visits with a Geriatrician may be scheduled as part of the Home-Base Primary Care program.

Students are encouraged to contact Dr. Bial in advance of the elective if they have a clinical area of particular interest.

The students are expected Monday through Friday, generally 8:30am-5pm.

Evaluations are completed by Dr. Bial but are based on the feedback obtained from the physicians and staff with whom the student worked. Students are evaluated on medical knowledge, bedside manner, professionalism, engagement within the clinical areas and incorporation of feedback, when applicable.

This course is graded Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail.