Geriatric and Palliative Medicine

Mission: 

To promote and prepare students for the challenges and rewards of delivering excellent care for the aging and chronically or critically ill patients.  

Directors: Rex Paulino, MD and Angelique Wong, MD 

SYNOPSIS OF REQUIREMENTS:  

  • Concentration seminars in selected geriatric and/or palliative medicine (GPM) topics 
  • Adopt a senior to visit or volunteer at a hospice
  • Attend UTHealth GPM monthly Journal Club
  • Participate in Summer Research Program between MS1 and MS2
  • Attend the state-wide American Geriatrics Society Meeting or Texas Academy of Palliative Medicine Meeting
  • Successful completion of related clerkship
  • Successful completion of related elective
  • Attend all GPM Transition to Internship sessions 

COVID-19 ADDENDUM: 

Medical students should not work in clinical environments with likely coronavirus exposure. Restrictions in activities related to the coronavirus pandemic include the following: 1) Any experiential component that can be accomplished virtually should be prioritized, 2) Webinars and lectures, as well as annual meetings, should be attended virtually, 3) Visiting a senior or volunteering at a hospice could involve a virtual component (secured video interaction).

SCHOLARLY CONCENTRATION APPROVAL FORM 

Name: Geriatric and Palliative Medicine (GPM)  

Director/Co-director:  

Rex Paulino, MD, Co-Director  

Angelique Wong, MD, Co-Director  

Administrative Coordinator:  

Minnie Booker 

Mission: 

To promote and prepare students for the challenges and rewards of delivering excellent care for the aging and chronically or critically ill patients. 

Maximum number of students/year: 

Initially 5-6 students, but likely can grow with support from the school and increase in faculty numbers.  

Student admission process: 

Program highlighted during the Scholarly Concentration Fair each Fall. Applications are encouraged after the concentration fair. The concentration director and co-director will evaluate application and interview candidates, and present recommendations to Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Division at a monthly meeting in October/November. Criteria will include evidence of interest and ability to complete a scholarly project.  

Timeline for student completion of concentration requirements: 

  • Admission starts Year 1 through first half of Year 2 
  • Identify mentor on admission – co-directors will help students to identify a mentor 
  • Scholarly project proposal due February of Year 1 or 6 months from admission, whichever is later 
  • Apply to Summer Research Program after Year 1 (recommended) 
  • Seminars, projects, and electives Years 1-4 
  • Final scholarly product submitted by graduation of Year 4 

Concentration requirements (didactic and experiential) 

  1. Mandatory components: adopt a senior or volunteer at a hospice, required clerkship, one-month elective in MS4, produce a scholarly project for presentation
  2. Must accumulate 4 points per academic year for a total of 20 points across 4 years 
  • Join GIG (Geriatric Interest Group) – 1 point 
  • Attend selected UT GPM monthly journal club – 1 point 
  • Attend selected Huffington Lecture Series – 1 point 
  • Attend selected didactic lectures (includes webinar, GPM presentations at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds) – 1 point 
  • Student membership in American Geriatric Society (AGS) or American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) – 1 point 
  • Student membership in Texas Geriatric Society (TGS) or Texas Academy of Palliative Medicine (TAPM) – 1 point 
  • Attend one annual assembly of AGS, AAHPM, TGS, TAPM (division will provide funding as available) – 2 points

Proposed Timeline 

Year 1 

  • Attend journal club or webinar presentations in selected GPM topics (Wednesdays at noon) 
  • Adopt a senior to visit or volunteer at a hospice (visit to a resident of an Adult Living or Nursing Home facility) -12 documented hours of volunteer work, but scheduling at the discretion of the student (i.e. 1 hour/month or 3 hour/quarter or 12 hours in a weekend at an inpatient hospice, etc.) 
  • Identify a mentor and propose a project within 6 months of admission. Mentor may be from outside the Geriatric and Palliative Medicine Division, but student should have a faculty advisor from within the Division as well, and the project needs to have a GPM focus. 
  • Participate with mentor in Summer Research Program between years 1 and 2 (recommended) 

Year 2 

  • Continued work on scholarly project 
  • Quarterly meetings with mentor 
  • Attend journal club or webinar presentations in selected GPM topics (Wednesdays at noon) 
  • Adopt a senior to visit or volunteer at a hospice (visit to a resident of an Adult Living or Nursing Home facility) -12 documented hours of volunteer work, but scheduling at the discretion of the student (i.e. 1 hour/month or 3 hours/quarter or 12 hours in a weekend at an inpatient hospice, etc.)  
  • Quarterly updates to concentration director from students and/or mentors about project completion 
  • Participate with Forensic Assessment Center Network (FACN) capacity assessments 
  • Attend the state-wide American Geriatrics Society Meeting or American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Assembly 
  • Annual update to concentration director from students and/or mentors about project completion 

Year 3 

  • Continued work on scholarly project 
  • Quarterly meetings with mentor 
  • One week required clerkship 
  • Annual update to concentration director from students and/or mentors about project completion 
  • Attend journal club or webinar presentations in selected GPM topics (Wednesdays at noon) 
  • Attend the state-wide American Geriatrics Society Meeting or American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Assembly 

Year 4 

  • Continued work on scholarly project 
  • Quarterly meetings with mentor 
  • One month elective: geriatrics, palliative medicine, house calls or wound care 
  • Finalizing of Scholarly Project by February to be followed by evaluation process 
  • Attend journal club or webinar presentations in selected GPM topics (Wednesdays at noon) 
  • Attend the state-wide American Geriatrics Society Meeting or American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Annual Assembly
  • Course work – Attend all GPM “Transition to Internship” sessions 

^Optional but encouraged 

Italicized items are mandatory 

Final Product 

  • Represents the culmination of the work undertaken during the program 
  • Traditional forms of scholarly work, such as publication in a peer-reviewed journal or presentation at a national conference, are appropriate. Research may be of a basic, translational or clinical subtype, or could be quality improvement.  
  • Nontraditional products such as a new curricular module, an outreach program, a legislative campaign, or a significant original piece of literature, art, or music are also appropriate. 
  • A student-authored manuscript describing their project, its outcome and the student’s role and level of independence is also required. 

Final satisfactory/ unsatisfactory grade given in April of Year 4 (following completion of required “Transition to Internship” sessions) 

Planned program outcome measures:  

  • Documenting student publications and presentations 
  • Surveying student and faculty regarding their satisfaction with and perception of the program 
  • Studying application rates 
  • Comparing participants and nonparticipants on variety of dimensions (e.g., career choice, residency matching results, future in academia) 

Scholarly Concentration Faculty 

 

Faculty Name 

Contribution(s) to Concentration 

Rex Paulino, MD 

Concentration Co-Director 

Angelique Wong, MD 

 Concentration Co-Director