University of Pittsburgh Division of Geriatric Medicine Receives Medical Student Education Grant
PITTSBURGH, October 3, 2001 — The division of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh has received a $100,000 grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to enhance medical student education in geriatrics.
"This grant will ensure that geriatrics is incorporated into every aspect of the curriculum at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine," said Neil Resnick, M.D., professor of medicine and chief, division of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
"Such exposure is critical in ensuring that tomorrow’s physicians, regardless of their specialty, become aware of the unique considerations in providing optimal care to the older adult. This award also complements the grant the division recently received from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation which will help to develop faculty mentorship in geriatrics, support a coordinator for student training, and fund outside speakers, seminars and an annual Student Geriatric Award."
In addition, the grant will provide a model that other schools can adapt, according to Andrea Fox, M.D. and Evelyn C. Granieri, M.D., both of whom are associate professors of medicine in the division of geriatric medicine.
"For the past 10 years, we have been working within the school of medicine to increase the visibility of geriatrics in the curricular, supracurricular and extracurricular arenas. We believe this grant will allow us to expand vistas and allow us to interact with more students throughout their medical school years," said Dr. Granieri.
The division of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh is one of the largest and considered one of the best academic geriatric divisions in the United States and has an extensive community- and clinic-based care network throughout the region. It was recently named a national Center for Geriatric Excellence by the Hartford Foundation.
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is a non-profit association founded in 1876. The AAMC has as its purpose the improvement of the nation's health through the advancement of medical schools and teaching hospitals. As an association of medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic societies, the AAMC works with its members to set a national agenda for medical education, biomedical research, and health care, and assists its members by providing services at the national level that facilitate the accomplishment of their missions.
For more information on geriatric services at UPMC, please access the web site.