About Geriatric Medicine at UPMC

Expertise

Geriatricians are physicians who are first trained in internal medicine or family medicine and then undergo additional training in geriatric medicine. They have specific expertise in how to:

  • Diagnose and treat diseases in older adults
  • Diagnose and treat geriatric syndromes (e.g., confusion, dementia, falls, incontinence)
  • Best prescribe medications
  • Handle medical conditions when many are present at the same time
  • Deal with problems common at the end of life
  • Access and utilize the many types of support services available to older adults

Geriatricians provide care in all settings, including the office, the hospital, the home, and the institution (assisted living and skilled nursing facilities). They can provide consultations, co-management of patients with a primary care provider, or primary care.

When geriatricians do provide primary care, it is usually for only the most medically complex of older adults and the most frail. Their patients are almost always over age 65 and generally over age 75.

Some geriatricians also conduct research. These geriatricians have expertise not only in research methods but also in how these methods may need to be adapted to the study of aging and age-related problems.

Learn more about our expertise by browsing the following sections:

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Join Our Team

Geriatrics is a fulfilling and rewarding career with the mission to enhance the quality of life for older adults.

Interested in a position in the geriatrics field?

Download the PDF.

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