Education and Scholarly Activity

One of our program’s strength is the unique series of lectures, conferences, and case studies, both geriatric-specific and all-inclusive, that engages the fellows with faculty, other graduate medical trainees, experts in their field, as well as the greater geriatric community. These educational experiences encompass an expanse of topics, from case series to practice management, to mental health and system quality. Additionally, we have the professional assistance of Mount Carmel’s Research Institute to assist with your chosen scholarly activity as you work towards publication. All structured educational sessions are protected time away from clinical duties. Faculty, guest attendings, and professional staff will be present to ensure the most possible lively and informative discussion. Trainees of all levels and disciplines are invited to attend.

Geriatric Specific

Journal Club (monthly): In conjunction with Mount Carmel’s Research Institute, we will discuss an article from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on a monthly basis, of which you will receive a free subscription. Fellows will summarize their discussion around the ASHP.org Journal Club Template. Fellows will become familiar with the sophisticated techniques required to properly evaluate a medical article, including study design, statistical analysis, conflicts of interest, NNT, and bias.

Ethics Case Conference (quarterly): Conducted by Mount Carmel’s Ethics Consultants, we will review a recent case encountered at one of our hospital sites. You will learn how to approach a medical ethics dilemma and formulate a decision-aiding recommendation based on established ethical principles.

Didactics (weekly): Based on the American Geriatrics Society’s Geriatrics Review Syllabus, we will review all clinical competencies in preparation for board examination.

Evaluation and Investigation (E&I) Case Conference (quarterly): A fellow-lead conference, each fellow will present a recently encountered clinical case after researching the literature for a relevant article. The group will complete a Healthcare Matrix based on the ACGME competencies and the Institute of Medicine’s 6 Aims/Domains of Healthcare Quality.

In-Training Examination (bi-annually): Fellows will complete an In-Training Examination early in the year and will repeat a similar exam near completion of the fellowship. These examinations are meant to gauge proficiency in Geriatric Medicine competencies, guide individual learning, and prepare for board certification.

Clinical Skills and Simulation Center (bi-annually): Twice a year, fellows will practice real-time conversational “procedures”, such as advising advanced directives, goals of care conversations, breaking bad news, and de-escalation of emotion with volunteer actors from the community.

National Conference (annually): Fellows receive a stipend in order to attend a CME conference of their choosing within the continental US, after approval by the Program Director. Fellows are encouraged to attend the American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting, and hopefully will have their abstract accepted for a poster presentation in the Fellow category.

Graduate Medical Education All-Inclusive

CRESS (Combined Residency Educational Seminar Series)(monthly): Sponsored and orchestrated by the Internal Medicine Faculty, this monthly conference series invites outside professionals to discuss and educate learners on important but often overlooked topics such as contracts, practice models, financing, student loans, estate planning, malpractice, burnout, and depression.

Internal Medicine Grand Rounds (monthly): Fellows will collaborate with their Internal Medicine colleagues and engage in a monthly learning conference at Grove City.

Quality and Safety Committee (quarterly): As representatives of the Department of Geriatrics, fellows will accompany their Program Director to Grove City’s Quality and Safety Committee meetings, attended by hospital administration and leadership.

Scholarly Activity

Scholarly Project (weekly): The ACGME requires fellows to complete a scholarly project, which can range from traditional research, to quality and safety, to poster presentation. The staff at Mount Carmel’s Research Institute will assist you with locating an existing project system-wide or initiating your own with periodic follow-up to support you through the process of data collection, analysis, and final submission for publication. We require and assist each fellow with submission of an abstract in the Fellow category for the American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting and Mount Carmel Health’s Interprofessional Research and Evidence-Based Practice Day. The latter is a system-wide, multi-disciplinary annual event with accepted abstracts selected for a podium presentation, poster, or both.

Community Presentations (twice annually): Aligned with our mission to engage with the greater geriatric community, each fellow will present a community course of the Mount Carmel Church Partnership Course Offerings, which are free to the community. Past topics include caregiving, memory loss, and doctor visit preparation. Additionally, each fellow will present an informal lecture to members of the Grove City Senior Center on a relevant topic of their choice.