The Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program is a two-year program open to internal medicine residents who wish to become specialists in geriatrics. It is both clinically and research-oriented, with fellows required to complete a research project of their choice under the direction of a divisional mentor. Dr. Barrie Raik, a faculty member of the Division of Geriatrics, is the program director.
Dr. Raik became involved in geriatrics ten years ago after an experience with a homebound visiting program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. There she learned about multidisciplinary medical work, and has been applying it to her geriatrics practice ever since. She has been at Cornell Weill for two years, and has succeeded in developing a multidimensional Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program that develops fellow's clinical teaching skills, prepares them to complete a research project, and includes interdisciplinary team training in geriatric medicine in a variety of settings.
Fellows develop their clinical skills by caring for older adults in the hospital, at the Wright Center, at Amsterdam Nursing Home, and in the patient's home. Fellows go on house calls with Dr. Veronica Lo Faso's Medical House Call Program. Additional rotations include the chaplaincy service, rheumatology program at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and the behavioral neurology program.
A research project is conducted in the second year. Courses in clinical epidemiology, medical systems, managed care, and research methodology are included in the fellowship. Fellows also spend one month at the Westchester campus learning about geriatric psychiatry from Dr. George Alexopoulos, head of the Cornell Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Two fellows are admitted each year out of an applicant pool of more than than 100 physicians. Recent fellowship projects include Anna Lamnari, MD 's investigation of Physician's Attitudes Towards Death And Dying and Yakov Iofel, MD's study of the Lighting Needs of Homebound Elderly. Dr. Iofel studied gerontological design along side Rosemary Bakker, MS and presented on his study at the AGS meeting back in May 2001. Current year fellow, Lisa Honkanen is studying Hip Protectors As A Means Of Preventing Hip Fractures. Details on the Geriatric Fellowship Program and the Unit for GeronDesign can be found here.
