geriatric EM fellowship-useful?

[EMME]

I've recently been contemplating going into geriatric fellowship, primarily due to the concern that we will be inundated with "baby boomers" in the ED...in fact it seems there are already centennials appearing more often than not in the ED. I'm considering community medicine and maybe eventually academic, but I don't want to be pigeon-holed into only geriatrics/geriatric ED facility. Would it be possible to head a geriatric ED and work at a non-geriatric ED?

What kind of job opportunities would this type of fellowship open (in a non-academic setting)?

For those physicians who have already been in practice, do you think this realm of info would truly be useful?

I know there are very few EM geriatric fellowship programs in the country, information seems a bit scarce, so I would appreciate any and all perceptions on the topic.

Thanks for your help on this very un-sexy realm of EM.

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[Birdstrike]

Such a fellowship would not pigeonhole you. You could still work in any ED. Would it be useful? Only if it's a special interest of yours.

And you're right. That is one hella-unsexy fellowship. Lol. Hospice & Palliative is sexier than that, for C----- sake.

 

[RustedFox]

Dude; come to Florida - where ages 50-65 is considered "pediatrics".

You won't need a fellowship.

 

[dchristismi]

Yeah, seriously. One of my guys is contemplating setting up a geriatric fellowship... because you (as a 3rd year resident) already know how to do it, and you're cheap labor. So why not come work for me now and get paid as an attending? Unless you want to be *that* academician, I don't really see how it's going to benefit you in the long run.

And FWIW, I love old people, and it seems like my average patient is in their 80s.

 

[Cinclus]

Dude; come to Florida - where ages 50-65 is considered "pediatrics".

You won't need a fellowship.

Florida: God's Waiting Room

 

[RustedFox]

I work in a shop in Sarasota. The local saying is: "People come to Sarasota to retire; and their parents live in nearby Venice."

 

[Hair Police]

...Thanks for your help on this very un-sexy realm of EM.

I would say the greatest benefits are likely to be:

1) Academics and creating a niche
2) Having the extra credentials to set up Geri-ERs like we have with Peds EDs.

Absolutely unsexy as you said, but that just means you'll have less competition if that's what you really want to do.

 

[alpinism]

Geri-ERs...

Heh I can see it now.

"looks up at the board"

92yo Altered mental status
86yo Altered mental status
74yo Shortness of breath
85 yo Shortness of breath
96yo Blood in the stool
72yo Blood in the stool

Hmmm which one should I pick up first??

 

[Hair Police]

Geri-ERs...

Heh I can see it now.

"looks up at the board"

92yo Altered mental status
86yo Altered mental status
74yo Shortness of breath
85 yo Shortness of breath
96yo Blood in the stool
72yo Blood in the stool

Hmmm which one should I pick up first??

All of those have insurance and likely all of them would be admitted. Some admin might want a guy who could help secure that revenue stream.

 

[RustedFox]

Geri-ERs...

Heh I can see it now.

"looks up at the board"

92yo Altered mental status
86yo Altered mental status
74yo Shortness of breath
85 yo Shortness of breath
96yo Blood in the stool
72yo Blood in the stool

Hmmm which one should I pick up first??

You laugh, but that's seriously what my tracking board looks like on most days. Add more AMS and a few "falls", and you're off and running.

 

[RustedFox]

Also worthy of mention is the "Sarasota sunrise special": senior gets up at 4:45 to take a pee... Then falls on the way to the pisser.