Clinical Rotations
Our fellowship year is divided into two- and four-week block rotations which are primarily based at Ralston House (ambulatory Geriatrics practice), Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and include exposure to a variety of sites of care :
- Acute care for elders (ACE) unit
- Inpatient consultation and co-management
- Subacute rehabilitation at the Philadelphia VA Community Living Center
- Long- term care at the Philadelphia VA Community Living Center
- Palliative Care
- Home Care
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Electives
Additionally, we have a 6+2 schedule during which the 2 weeks are designated for ambulatory longitudinal rotations. This innovative curricular design allows fellows to:
- Manage panels of patients on a recurring basis in multiple sites of care: VA and Penn outpatient clinics, VA home-based primary care, and Renaissance nursing home in the community
- Maximize and prioritize time spent on block rotations
- Have protected time to explore research and scholarly pursuits
University of Pennsylvania Geriatrics (One Year) Sample Training Schedule
| PPMC ACE (3 months) |
| PPMC Co-Management/Consults (1-2 two-week blocks) |
| PPMC Rehab (1-2 two week blocks) |
| VA CLC (1 month or 2 two-week blocks) |
| VA SNF (1 month) |
| Palliative Care (1 month) |
| Ralston Home Care (1 two-week block) |
| Ambulatory (3 months/6 two-week blocks) |
| Elective (1-2 two-week blocks) |
| Vacation (1 month/2 two-week blocks) |
Ambulatory Block Grid (Two Weeks)
|
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| AM |
Home based
primary care |
Ralston
fellows clinic |
Nursing Home |
Ralston Consult Clinic |
Didactics |
| PM |
Home based
primary care |
Ralston
fellows clinic |
Nursing home |
VA fellows clinic |
Research |
Didactics
Fellows are excused from their clinical responsibilities on Friday mornings throughout the year in order to attend Grand Rounds and fellow didactics.
The Division of Geriatric Medicine hosts Grand Rounds weekly on Friday mornings. We are fortunate to be joined by distinguished clinical, research, and thought leaders in the field of geriatrics.
Fellow didactics consist of lectures, small group activities, and site visits aimed at providing additional instruction in Geriatric medicine topics to our fellows. Many of our didactics are grouped into themed “series” which include:
- 5M’s Geriatrics Bootcamp (July and August)
- Dementia
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Palliative care
- Leadership
- Best of Geriatrics Journal Club
- Case Presentations
Curricular Tracks
We are committed to meeting the individual goals of each of our fellows and offer an opportunity to spend more time in each of the following concentrations during the 1-year fellowship:
- Education
- Leadership
- Research
- Community Health / Quality Improvement
- Clinical
Additional Training
Additional training opportunities are available for fellows who are interested in completing a second year to obtain skills in research, education, or leadership. Some examples of extended training by prior fellows include:
- AGE SMART Research Fellowship
- Measey Medical Education Fellowship
- Cognitive Neurology Fellowship
- VA Quality Scholars fellowship