Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium Program

The Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium Program in Geriatric Medicine is designed to train fellows in geriatric medicine with a focus on clinical excellence and compassionate patient care. The program emphasizes a whole-person approach, preparing fellows to care for patients from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and aims to cultivate future leaders in geriatric medicine.

The program aims to develop skills essential for managing older adults effectively, addressing the unique challenges they face. With a notable focus on enhancing the quality of care for seniors, graduates of this program are prepared to lead in medical practice, education, and research.

Program Highlights

The program facilitates the essential tools required to effectively manage older adult patients. A unique feature of this fellowship is its integration with the Blue Zone® initiative, promoting health and longevity among patients. Participants will gain experiences that contribute to elevating healthcare standards for older adults while emphasizing patient dignity and independence.

Curriculum Structure

The program’s curriculum is meticulously designed to cover all core competencies relevant to geriatric medicine. It offers a blend of close mentorship, didactic instruction, and extensive clinical experiences with a scholarly emphasis. The varied exposures include:

Clinical Rotations

Fellows experience a comprehensive clinical curriculum, which includes:

• Inpatient Consultative Care: This rotation involves a multi-disciplinary team addressing common geriatric issues, such as delirium, dementia, and polypharmacy.
• Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation (AIR): Focusing on care coordination, fellows manage complex cases transitioning from acute hospital settings to rehabilitation facilities.
• Outpatient Rehabilitation: This rotation provides fellows with opportunities to work directly with patients in nursing homes, emphasizing effective transitions of care.
• Palliative Care: Fellows work within an interdisciplinary team addressing serious, life-limiting conditions, functioning as trainees within the palliative care unit.
• Geriatric Outpatient Consult Clinic & Subspecialties: This includes clinical exposure across various outpatient settings including neurology and geriatric psychology.

Longitudinal Schedules

The fellowship supports longitudinal experiences, emphasizing primary care in various formats, including home care and nursing home panels, which helps nurture sustained relationships with the patient population.

Global Health and Health Disparities Focus

The program recognizes the important role of global health perspectives in geriatric care. Fellows engage with the Global Health Institute, gaining experiences that prepare them for both local and international healthcare settings. This initiative includes customized postgraduate experiences that focus on global health competencies.

Moreover, fellows will have the opportunity to understand and tackle health disparities within the diverse populations of San Bernardino County, gaining firsthand experience in socially determinant factors affecting health.

Moonlighting Opportunities

Moonlighting is permissible during the fourth year of fellowship, contingent upon maintaining satisfactory performance within the program and obtaining approval from the program director. Fellows must ensure that any outside work does not compromise their educational goals or lead to fatigue that may affect patient care.

Visa Support

The program provides visa support for eligible international medical graduates. Typically, visa sponsorship may include J-1 and H-1B visa types, facilitating participation for those from abroad looking to enhance their expertise within geriatric medicine.

Application Competitiveness and Special Requirements

This program is acknowledged as being competitive, welcoming applications from DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) and IMG (International Medical Graduate) candidates. There may be specific eligibility criteria concerning graduation years and maximum allowed failures on relevant STEP examinations. Each application is considered holistically, emphasizing an applicant’s commitment to the specialty and their experiences.