Fellowship training in geriatrics.

Geriatric medicine fellowships have begun to earn a berth in most department of medicine across the country. After 1994, initial certification of Added Qualification in Geriatric Medicine (AQGM) will require a period of geriatrics fellowship training. The requirements for accreditation of fellowship programs have been carefully developed and reflect emerging trends in graduate medical education. Nevertheless, recruitment into geriatrics fellowship programs has fallen far short of that in many other internal medicine fellowship programs. The lack of adequate reimbursement for the time and the evaluation and management skills needed to care for frail elderly patients prevents geriatrics from being an attractive career. On the other hand, several factors suggest a brighter future: the satisfaction of graduates of geriatrics fellowship programs, the increasing demand for clinical services for the elderly, and the wide open opportunities for research in this field.