Ascension St Vincent Hospital Indianapolis Program

Ascension St. Vincent Geriatrics Fellowship Overview

The Ascension St. Vincent Geriatrics Fellowship is a community-based, one-year postgraduate training program aimed at developing future leaders in geriatric medicine. Established in 2000, the program has become recognized for its commitment to excellence, evidenced by a 100% pass rate for fellows taking the geriatric board exam. This fully accredited program is designed for individuals who have achieved board-eligible or board-certified status in either Family Medicine or Internal Medicine.

Annually, the fellowship accepts one fellow through the National Resident Match Program, creating an intimate yet rigorous training environment that emphasizes comprehensive care for older adults.

Goals and Objectives

The program strives to equip fellows with the essential skills necessary to address the complexities associated with caring for older patients. Key objectives include:

• Developing skills to manage geriatric syndromes across diverse clinical settings.
• Achieving expertise in various care levels, including inpatient consultations, outpatient geriatrics, nursing home settings, and assisted living.
• Understanding the intersections between aging and chronic disease presentations.
• Practicing effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Addressing the unique medical, psychological, and social issues older adults face.
• Utilizing the 4Ms framework (Mobility, Medications, Mentation, and what Matters) in patient care.
• Facilitating goals of care discussions with patients and families, particularly in end-of-life scenarios.

Training Environment

The program is based at the Ascension Center for Healthy Aging, which has been serving the older adult community in Central Indiana since 1987. The Center focuses on advocating for the health and spiritual needs of older adults and aims to enhance community-based programs that support these objectives.

Curriculum Structure

The fellowship curriculum is robust and designed to provide a diverse educational experience through various settings:

• Core Curriculum: This includes a three-month outpatient-based training period, incorporating weekly didactic sessions that ensure fellows receive comprehensive instruction.
• Specialty Rotations: Fellows gain exposure to several specialty areas, including Geriatric Psychiatry, Neurology, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, along with hospital inpatient consultations and personalized elective rotations.
• Continuity Clinics: Experience in primary care and a focused geriatric consult clinic are integral to the training, allowing fellows to apply their skills in real-world scenarios.

Application and Competitiveness

The Ascension St. Vincent Geriatrics Fellowship is considered highly competitive, attracting candidates with strong backgrounds in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Specific application requirements may include a stipulation regarding year of graduation and guidelines on past performance on examinations such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) or equivalent. Detailed requirements typically accompany the application process.

Visa Support

The program offers visa sponsorship for qualified candidates, ensuring support for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking to join the fellowship. The specific types of visas supported may include the J-1 visa, which is commonly used for exchange visitors in medical training.