Duke University Center for the Study of
Aging and Human Development |
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Duke University Center for the Study of
Aging and Human Development |
Duke's post-doctoral research training program in aging and adult development was among the earliest established by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health. Since the post-doctoral program's founding in 1966, the center has added programs to train college students, medical students and house staff, and to provide continuing education for the professionals who serve the elderly. The following post-doctoral programs are available:
Arts and Sciences Education. Several center investigators are involved with undergraduate and graduate gerontology education. These programs are strongest in the social and behavioral sciences, where, for example, the Department of Sociology offers a graduate specialization in aging studies.
Geriatrics Professional Training. The Center participates in Geriatrics Training at the student and post-graduate level for a broad variety of health care disciplines including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, social work, and psychology.
The Leadership in Aging Program offers training and internships
for both students and citizens who want to know more about key issue
in the territory of aging.
The Post-Doctoral Research Training Program
The Post-Doctoral Research
Training Program is a 2-year program for PhDs and
MDs and combines research in the trainee's field of interest
with multidisciplinary training in gerontology. Each trainee is matched
with one of the center's senior researchers, who supervises his or her research
and provides a career model. Didactic training is based on a series
of readings and group seminars. Trainees routinely go on to excellent
positions in aging research, including research posts at the National
Institute on Aging. Click on this link to learn more: The
Post-Doctoral Research Training Program
The Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program
The Geriatric Physician Fellowship Program at Duke University Medical
Center is based in the Department of Medicine utilizing the facilities of the Duke University Center
for the Study of Aging and in the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The program's goal is to
train excellent physicians who will become excellent investigators and clinician-educators
in Geriatrics and Gerontology, serving as national leaders in the field well into the next
century. Over the past 20 years, our training program has graduated over 75 physicians and of
these, sixty-five percent are investigators or clinician-educators throughout the United States.
The Fellowship Program can be structured from one to three years,
depending upon individual needs and available funding. The first year of clinical training of the
fellowship satisfies the ACGME's guidelines so that upon successful completion of the year, fellows
may take the American Board of Internal Medicine Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatrics.
The second and third year of the Fellowship are designed to be an intensive research experience
that will allow the Fellow to pursue a career in clinical or basic research. All fellows
accepted to the Fellowship Program may apply to obtain funding for a second and third year of
research training. Acceptance into this part of the training program requires that the Geriatrics
Division approves the research project and the Fellow's research mentor.
A. Clinical Responsibilities:
During the first year the fellow gains experience with the full continuum
of geriatric care and a broad variety of patients. There are both block and longitudinal rotations to
optimize the value of each type of experience for particular circumstances. Block rotations include
experiences at Duke University Medical Center on the consultation service, the acute inpatient service
of Geriatric Associates and the Transitional Care/Palliative Care Unit run by the Geriatrics Division.
At the Durham VAMC, block rotations include the consultation service and Geriatric Evaluation and Management
Unit as well as the Extended Care and Rehabilitation Center which includes subacute care, long term
care, hospice and respite programs as well as rehabilitation. During another block rotation, the fellow
attends the Duke Geriatric Evaluation and Treatment Clinic as well as a number of other specialty clinics
dealing with problems unique to the older patient, e.g., memory disorders, osteoporosis, and incontinence.
Longitudinal experiences throughout the year include a primary care outpatient clinic and supervised
patient care at the Forest at Duke, a life care community offering experiences with a home care environment
as well as clinic, assisted living and skilled nursing. Through these experiences, the fellow also learns
the nuances of transitions of care as well as care in any one setting. Multidisciplinary teams operate in
each setting including nursing, social work, pharmacy and others and the fellow becomes comfortable
operating in these settings. Continuity of care and optimizing functional capacity are emphasized throughout
the program. The fellows are also involved in night and weekend call to become experienced with telephone
medicine as well as to emphasize the importance of continuity of care.
B. Didactic Activities:
The primary learning of both clinical geriatrics and research methods in
the field of Geriatrics occurs by doing; therefore, Fellows have extensive opportunities to provide
medical care and perform research in close collaboration with a mentor. Didactic sessions are conducted
to teach basic concepts of geriatrics, gerontology, and research methods.
1. Throughout the year there is a weekly Geriatrics Grand Rounds where a faculty member, Fellow,
or invited guest presents an indepth lecture on a clinical or research topic.
2. At a second weekly clinical conference, journal articles or clinical cases representing
problems of importance to the field of geriatrics are presented by the Fellows and division faculty members.
3. During the first three months of the year a series of Geriatric Core Lectures are given by faculty
and second year Fellows as a core curriculum.
4. A weekly conference conducted by the Aging Center Post Doctoral Research Training Program stresses
gerontologic topics and research. Geriatric Fellows are encouraged to attend this conference.
5. During the second year of the Fellowship, Fellows can prepare for two types of academic careers:
one in clinical research, or one as a clinician educator. For a career in clinical research, Fellows can take
three introductory courses in Biostatistics offered by the Division of Biometry and Medical Informatics. These
courses and others may be taken for a Masters in Health Science. For a career as a clinician educator, Fellows
can take courses in medical informatics offered by the Division of Biomedical Engineering or take courses in
faculty development offered by the Department of Community and Family Medicine.
6. During the first year of the Fellowship, each Fellow identifies a mentor with whom she/he will work
during the second year. It is from this relationship, that the Fellow receives a major amount of instruction
in completing the research project.
C. Research Activities:
At Duke University and the Durham VAMC there are many nationally recognized researchers. There are
six major areas of research with the Division:
1. Aging, neoplasia and immune cell function, immunosenescence and inflammation, viral latency, signal
transduction and gene regulation.
2. Cardiovascular disease in aging, exercise, hypertension, and syncope.
3. Rehabilitation: causes and trajectory for decline, stroke rehabiliation, spinal cord injury, assistive
technology, and health services.
4. Functional assessment: laboratory-based assessment, measuring impairments.
5. Bones, joints, dysmobility, falls, osteoporosis, flexibility, Paget's disease of bone, nutrition, and
quality of life.
6. Dementia, depression, and genetic basis for cognitive impairment.
7. Health care research - Geriatric assessment, clinical data management, nutrition, drugs, quality of life,
symptom perception, community surveys, neighborhood advisors and caregivers.
Each rising second fellow chooses a research or educational project
under the guidance of, and consistent with the research activities of a Geriatric Division faculty
member or a closely affiliated program. During the first six months of the Fellowship, each
fellow has a chance to see and learn of Division members' projects and discuss how they will
interact in such projects. Fellows are given guidance in choosing a mentor and a research or
educational project. During the second and possibly third year of the Fellowship,
they work very closely with their mentor in the completion of these studies.
D. Application Procedures and Benefits
All Fellowship applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion,
sex or national origin. Candidates should be board eligible in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine. All
applicants must complete an application form which is obtained from this web site or by writing Mrs. Monica Harris, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3881, Durham, NC 27710. The level of stipends for trainees supported by the Division depends on numbers of years of
relevant postgraduate training. Fringe benefits include 3 weeks vacation, malpractice insurance, and
support for each fellow to attend a national geriatrics meeting.
To Download the Applicaton in Microsoft Word format, please select the below link:
Application