The field of geriatrics never used to exist in medical-school curriculum, had no leaders and offered little opportunity to students.
But in the past few years, student interest in learning to treat and care for older adults has increased significantly at medical schools across the country.
University of Washington medical student Karin Harp chose this four-week rotation "because I've always been interested in geriatrics and wanted to see if it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
That's the hopeful news. But the less-hopeful reality, many say, is still that there may never be enough geriatricians trained to care for aging baby boomers, who are expected to survive into their 80s and 90s in record numbers.
"The sad fact is that not enough is going on. There is a tremendous national shortage of people who are qualified in the area of geriatrics," said Joseph Cerquone, spokesman for the Alliance for Aging Research in Washington.
The Alliance predicts that there will be only 7,000 qualified geriatricians in the United States next year, when the country will need 22,000 or 23,000.
Still, the field of geriatrics today finds itself the object of increased attention, even a little bit popular.
And everyone agrees the field has seen tremendous change.
More students of better quality are applying for geriatrics fellowships and scholarships at medical schools such as University of Washington, UCLA and the University of Michigan.
Geriatrics is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in medicine, drawing 67 percent more fellows than it did three years ago, compared with applicant drops in fields such as cardiology, traditionally considered more glamorous, according to the American Board of Internal Medicine. However, the numbers in geriatrics remain tiny compared with those in other fields.
Philanthropic organizations, particularly the John A. Hartford Foundation in New York, are pouring money into research and clinical scholarships in geriatrics at selected medical schools.
Most of the country's 125 medical schools now teach geriatrics as part of a required course. They have broadened their electives in geriatrics and beefed up research. National boards that regulate the training of doctors have instituted requirements for geriatrics in primary care, family practice and internal medicine.
