Geriatrics is the medical field dedicated to the care of older adults. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, mental health professionals, and many other health professionals may choose to specialize in geriatrics. Health care workers who care for older adults often work as a team, providing comprehensive care for patients, their caregivers, and other family members too. Older adults have special healthcare needs that can make their medical care more complicated. More than half of adults age 65 and older have 3 or more medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, or high blood pressure. A GERIATRICIAN is a doctor who is specially trained to evaluate and manage the unique healthcare needs and treatment preferences of older people. Geriatricians are board-certified internists or family physicians who have additional training and certification in geriatrics.
Personal Attributes:
Human values and humanities don’t come with educational degrees. Though these doctors deal with humans at their most crucial stages so they should possess certain qualities like patience, politeness, ability to build harmonious relationships with their patients, strong ethics, service mentality, self-motivation, understanding, etc. In addition to these, a good doctor should have the ability to deal with young patients (children) with love and the ability to understand their behavior, Good communication skills, and keen observation and playful manner around children.
Some of the Best Books on Geriatrics:
- Clinical Management of the Elderly Patient in Pain
- Handbook of Pharmacology on Aging
- Fundamentals of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy
- Drugs and Aging
- Drugs for the Geriatric Patient
Top Colleges:
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
- Christian Medical College, Vellore
- Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
- King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
- Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry
Courses and Eligibility:
Courses | Duration | Eligibility | Entrance |
---|---|---|---|
Graduation (MBBS) | 5 1/2 year | Should have passed 10+2 with 50% mark in Physics, Chemistry, and Bio | AIIMS, CET, AIMEE, NEET |
Post-graduation | 2 years | must have completed MBBS course with a one-year internship | NEET PG, AIPGDEE, JIPMER PG, etc |
Syllabus Course:
Course Duration
- Bachelor Courses (4 year):
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
- Master Courses (3 year)
Career and Job Prospects:
Population aging has become a prominent topic as aging has emerged as a global phenomenon in the wake of the now virtually universal decline in fertility and, to a lesser extent, of increases in life expectancy. The theme is of immediate concern in developed countries, where aging is already well advanced and will continue, with serious consequences on every single aspect of life. On the other hand, older adults have special healthcare needs that can make their medical care more complicated. More than half of adults age 65 and older have 3 or more medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, or high blood pressure. So there is a wide scope in the field of Geriatrics.
Job Post | Job description | Salary |
---|---|---|
Geriatrician | address their patients' multiple medical problems and chronic illnesses, geriatricians focus primarily on the quality of life and functional ability | 2.5 lacs to 5 lacs |
Nurse | Promotes and restores patient's health by completing the nursing process; collaborating with physicians and multidisciplinary team members | 3 lacs to 7.5 lacs |
Physician assistant | carry out many of the same functions as traditional medical doctors. Interview and examine patients to determine a diagnosis. | 3.5 lacs to 6 lacs |
Social worker | help clients handle everyday life problems. They often assist clients who have issues caused by neglect, abuse, domestic violence, mental health, and parental substance abuse. | 1.5 lacs to 3.5 lacs |
Consultant pharmacist | works as a consultant providing expert advice on the use of medications or on the provision of pharmacy services to medical institutions, medical practices, and individual patients. | 1.5 lacs to 2.5 lacs |
Nutritionist | provide medical nutrition therapy. They work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, private practice, and other institutions. | 1.5 lacs to 3.5 lacs |
Physical therapist | Consulting with patients to learn about their physical condition and symptoms. Diagnosing movement dysfunction and developing a treatment plan. | 60,000 to 3.5 lacs |
Geriatric psychiatrist | trained to help patients with the above concerns as well as provide diagnosis and treatment for specific mental disorders that may occur at any age, such as Depression. | 1.5 lacs to 3.5 lacs |