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America is growing older at an unprecedented rate. The number of people 65 and older is larger than ever before, and those 85 and older constitute the fastest growing segment of the population. When the baby boom generation enters its senior years, between 2010 and 2030, it is projected that one in five Americans will be over 65. With this "graying of America" comes the demand for physicians and other health care professionals with expertise in geriatrics.
Persons with training in the care of older people are needed in medicine, nursing, social work, public health, local and state government to name a few! You can choose a career in geriatrics that fits your personality, your lifestyle, your ambitions, and your goals.
Academic Medicine
David B. Reuben, MD
"I found that I loved geriatrics - it was everything I had hoped for and more."
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Clinical Practice
Rebecca Elon, MD
“Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of geriatrics for me is the opportunity to meet the people who are the history of our nation.”
Jerome Epplin, MD
“Caring for older people is something I really enjoy,” he says. “In fact, the more I do it, the more I enjoy it.”
Holly Stanley, MD
"I love all the intricate puzzle solving and the advocacy work in geriatrics."
Alfred E. Stillman, MD
"I can better understand relationships between the patient and the caregivers by visiting a home. You get to know patients intimately at home. They let you into their homes -- even knowing that you’ll see everything -- because they really need you."
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Geriatric Psychiatry
Gary Kennedy, MD
"Often, when you work with older people you stumble into a moment of drama when you’re listening to them tell a story. It’s fine to read history in books, but to talk with someone who’s lived it is precious. That’s one of the joys of geriatric practice."
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Health Industry
Gary E. Applebaum, MD
“It’s extremely satisfying that at Erickson, we were able to prove that if seniors lived in a socially supportive, active environment, with quality onsite medical care, the outcomes would be superior and the costs would be dramatically reduced.”
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Health Industry
Phyllis Atkinson, GNP
"[I] realized that I wanted to know how older people differ from younger people and that I wanted to be an advocate for them."
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN
“I have the same passion today that I had when I started. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do than care for older patients and teach others to care for older patients.”
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Todd Semla, Pharm D.
“I always liked working with older people and bond with them. Older people always have interesting stories to tell."
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Irene Moore, MSSW, LISW
“Geriatrics is a wide open field. There’s plenty of room to make your mark in geriatric social work, no matter what venue you choose."
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Katrina Cannon, MD
VA Iowa City Healthcare System
"As I watch my friends, family and the nation age, the need for caring, compassionate and competent geriatricians is critical. Job security is always a bonus, but the reality that my skills as a geriatrician are truly needed is very rewarding."
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Stories From the Trenches
"The Greatest Loss" David B. Reuben, MD, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
10 reasons I see only nursing home patients
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