The geriatric fellows, faculty, nurse practitioners, and rotating family medicine resident attend a weekly two-hour conference where a wide variety of geriatric topics are covered. The speakers include faculty, fellows, and other specialist physicians. Other professionals are frequently involved as well including nurse practitioners, social workers, chaplains, attorneys, audiologists, pharmacists, and physical therapists, depending on the topic. Journal clubs, review of patient deaths, and multidisciplinary case conferences also occur during this conference time.
The fellows choose several topics to present during the year, and formal guidance and instruction on presentation skills are provided by the faculty. By giving these lectures the fellows learn various geriatric topics in-depth and have the opportunity to improve their teaching skills.
During our conferences we emphasize several principles: the biology and physiology of aging, evidence-based medicine, case-based approach to learning, and small group discussion and interaction to enhance learning. Through all of the conferences we place high priority on taking into account the human side of geriatrics: how the social, spiritual, and emotional aspects of the patient relate to the medical conditions we are discussing. The faculty and fellows enjoy the collegial atmosphere and the regular opportunity to discuss interesting or difficult cases.
Below is a representative sample of topics covered during the previous academic year. Topics change from year to year, but the core topics required by the Program Requirements for Geriatric Fellowships are covered each year.
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Introduction to Nursing Home Care
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Biology & Physiology of Aging
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Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
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Types of Dementia
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Geriatric Depression
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Nutrition & Malnutrition in Elderly
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Falls & Falls Prevention
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Delirium
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Caring for Family Caregivers
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Balancing Residents' Rights and Facility Responsibility
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Review of Pennsylvania Medical Director's Association Conference
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Parkinson's Disease
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Driving and the Elderly
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GI Diseases in the Elderly
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Perioperative Care in the Elderly
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Dizziness
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Elder Abuse
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Urinary Incontinence
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Multidisciplinary Conference - Case Reviews
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the Elderly
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Pressure Ulcers
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Healthcare Financing, Coverage and Costs
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Hospice & Palliative Care in the Geriatric Patient
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Infectious Disease in Elderly
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Sleep Disorders in Older Adults
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Osteoporosis
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Preventive Medicine in Elderly
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Optimal Medication Management in the Elderly
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Multidisciplinary Conference - Case Reviews
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Recognition & Management of Behaviorial Disturbances in the Demented Patient
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Vitamin D and the Elderly
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Journal Club
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Review of American Medical Director's Association Conference
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Review of PA Act 169 - Advance Directives and Power of Attorney
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Coding and Medical Record Documentation Review
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Review of American Geriatrics Society National Conference
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Alcoholism and Substance Abuse in the Elderly
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HIV Disease in the Elderly
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Searching the Medical Literature and Applying Evidence to Geriatric Population
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Hearing Loss in the Elderly
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Chronic Kidney Disease in the Elderly
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Hypertension in Older Adults
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Back Pain & Spinal Disease in the Elderly
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Gait and Gait Disturbance in the Elderly