Comments on: Should geriatrics be mandatory in medical school? http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:14:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: joe blowhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-108157 joe blow Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:00:05 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-108157 This is a stupid thread. Everybody wants their pet subjects to get more play in med school:1. HIV 2. Geriatrics 3. Domestic violence 4. Child abuse 5. Cultural competence 6. Breaking bad news 7. Diabetes management 8. Genetics 9. Epidemiology 10. Team-building exercises w/ nursesMed students get a brief surveillance to all these issues, but we have all these idiots with their special pet projects who think they know what all their med students need, and seem to think they should hvae months of dedicated blocks to the subjects above. Whats even worse is that most of this pushback comes from "concerned public officials" who are not even doctors and have no clue as to what med school entails. This is a stupid thread. Everybody wants their pet subjects to get more play in med school:

1. HIV
2. Geriatrics
3. Domestic violence
4. Child abuse
5. Cultural competence
6. Breaking bad news
7. Diabetes management
8. Genetics
9. Epidemiology
10. Team-building exercises w/ nurses

Med students get a brief surveillance to all these issues, but we have all these idiots with their special pet projects who think they know what all their med students need, and seem to think they should hvae months of dedicated blocks to the subjects above. Whats even worse is that most of this pushback comes from “concerned public officials” who are not even doctors and have no clue as to what med school entails.

]]> By: Rogerhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-108006 Roger Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:47:10 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-108006 Geri was a mandatory rotation in my third year at an Osteopathic school. Of course, most of my IM patients were older as well, but the principles of the geriatric assessment were different from what I was taught of a general medicine ward service. I think those principles are valuable, and worthy of a mandatory rotation. BTW, they also applied to children with multiple chronic and severe illnesses, such as CF, DM, etc. Geri was a mandatory rotation in my third year at an Osteopathic school. Of course, most of my IM patients were older as well, but the principles of the geriatric assessment were different from what I was taught of a general medicine ward service. I think those principles are valuable, and worthy of a mandatory rotation. BTW, they also applied to children with multiple chronic and severe illnesses, such as CF, DM, etc.

]]> By: ninguemhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107936 ninguem Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:38:35 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107936 You get this sort of stuff at the state level as well. This article is medical faculty with a pet peeve. The victim of all this, of course, is the poor medical student.At the state level, the political types get fired up about the cause du jour. Next thing you know, there's mandatory continuing education on that politician's pet cause. Domestic violence. Child abuse. Pain management. Risk management. Elder abuse, HIV, on and on.Oregon mandates education in "pain management". They've even gone to requiring an Oregon-specific pain course. Oregon pain being different from Washington pain I guess. You could be a pathologist looking at tisue slides all day, doesn't matter. You have to take the pain course. Now maybe the pathologist would be better off with a course on reading PAP smears, no matter. Take the pain course, put off the PAP smear course.Of interest, Oregon does not have a CME requirement generally for license renewal. Likely there is CME required for maintenance of board certification, hospital privileges, specialty certification, etc., but not for the state.So no general continuing education required, just one politician's pet cause. Keeps Audio-Digest in business, they can create packages of lectures to keep Florida happy or Texas or Georgia or whatever state and pet cause the doc needs for licensure. You get this sort of stuff at the state level as well. This article is medical faculty with a pet peeve. The victim of all this, of course, is the poor medical student.

At the state level, the political types get fired up about the cause du jour. Next thing you know, there’s mandatory continuing education on that politician’s pet cause. Domestic violence. Child abuse. Pain management. Risk management. Elder abuse, HIV, on and on.

Oregon mandates education in “pain management”. They’ve even gone to requiring an Oregon-specific pain course. Oregon pain being different from Washington pain I guess. You could be a pathologist looking at tisue slides all day, doesn’t matter. You have to take the pain course. Now maybe the pathologist would be better off with a course on reading PAP smears, no matter. Take the pain course, put off the PAP smear course.

Of interest, Oregon does not have a CME requirement generally for license renewal. Likely there is CME required for maintenance of board certification, hospital privileges, specialty certification, etc., but not for the state.

So no general continuing education required, just one politician’s pet cause. Keeps Audio-Digest in business, they can create packages of lectures to keep Florida happy or Texas or Georgia or whatever state and pet cause the doc needs for licensure.

]]> By: another MS4http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107871 another MS4 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:48:30 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107871 At least half of my medicine patients were >65, a significant number of my surgery patients were elderly, many of my family medicine patients were, lots of the emergency medicine patients were, lots of the anesthesia patients were, and lots of the gyn, psych and neuro patients were too. The only rotations that didn't have elderly patients were peds and OB. I really don't need another required rotation. At least half of my medicine patients were >65, a significant number of my surgery patients were elderly, many of my family medicine patients were, lots of the emergency medicine patients were, lots of the anesthesia patients were, and lots of the gyn, psych and neuro patients were too. The only rotations that didn’t have elderly patients were peds and OB. I really don’t need another required rotation.

]]> By: IVF-MDhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107828 IVF-MD Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:42:42 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107828 We had lots of special Geriatrics training in my medical school and it does no good in my practice today. In fact, if I ever gave medical care to someone over 65, I'd be forced to defend my actions. We had lots of special Geriatrics training in my medical school and it does no good in my practice today. In fact, if I ever gave medical care to someone over 65, I’d be forced to defend my actions.

]]> By: HospiceDochttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107797 HospiceDoc Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:07:17 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107797 The article is full of fear-mongering. By her estimates doctors have killed off all the elderly on purpose, so they should be extinct... In medical school we had geriatrics in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and our required Community Medicine. Then in Internal Medicine residency we had a required month of Geriatrics. Then in my fellowship we had a required month of Geriatrics. I think that was plenty. The article is full of fear-mongering. By her estimates doctors have killed off all the elderly on purpose, so they should be extinct…
In medical school we had geriatrics in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and our required Community Medicine. Then in Internal Medicine residency we had a required month of Geriatrics. Then in my fellowship we had a required month of Geriatrics. I think that was plenty.

]]> By: MS4http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107796 MS4 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:06:48 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107796 As a medical student I feel that my internal medicine and family practice rotations encompassed an immense amount of geriatric care. I don't feel that an extra geriatric rotation would be an effective use of my time. It should be left as an elective. As a medical student I feel that my internal medicine and family practice rotations encompassed an immense amount of geriatric care. I don’t feel that an extra geriatric rotation would be an effective use of my time. It should be left as an elective.

]]> By: ninguemhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107795 ninguem Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:40:47 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107795 My bailiwick of medicine is the most important in the world. The whole of medical education should bow to me. Teach my subject, in which I am expert of course. Teach it to the detriment of other fields of medicine, not as important as mine.Oh, and since it's my "home field", I get the political power, the budget, and the corner office. Typical academic power fight if you ask me. My bailiwick of medicine is the most important in the world. The whole of medical education should bow to me. Teach my subject, in which I am expert of course. Teach it to the detriment of other fields of medicine, not as important as mine.

Oh, and since it’s my “home field”, I get the political power, the budget, and the corner office. Typical academic power fight if you ask me.

]]> By: SmartDochttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107789 SmartDoc Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:39:48 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107789 Redundant, unnecessary training to be an underpaid, mistreated slave to breathtakingly crooked federal politicians & bureaucrats?No thanks. Redundant, unnecessary training to be an underpaid, mistreated slave to breathtakingly crooked federal politicians & bureaucrats?

No thanks.

]]> By: Paul DeGregoriohttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/07/should-geriatrics-be-mandatory-in-medical-school.html#comment-107787 Paul DeGregorio Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:55:52 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=39187#comment-107787 I went to Boston University School of Medicine myself. Geriatrics is so well imbricated into the clerkships of medicine, surgery and the Home Medical Service that it would be a redundant burden to formalize it further as a required fourth year clerkship. Enough. I went to Boston University School of Medicine myself. Geriatrics is so well imbricated into the clerkships of medicine, surgery and the Home Medical Service that it would be a redundant burden to formalize it further as a required fourth year clerkship. Enough.

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