Mid-Career Faculty Development Awards in Geriatrics: Does Retraining Work?

Abstract

To evaluate the success of a mid-career physicians faculty retraining in geriatric medicine. Written survey of participants in the John Hartford Foundation's Mid-Career Faculty Development Program (1984-1988). Four well established geriatric fellowship training programs. The 29 physicians who received John Hartford Foundation awards. Twenty-one (87%) of 24 respondents felt that the fellowship year had either a "major" or "significant" impact on their careers, and 87% also spend a significant portion of their time training others in geriatrics. This 4-year experiment in mid-career faculty retraining in geriatrics suggests that this approach is a viable alternative to traditional 2-year fellowships for helping to reduce the shortage of faculty in geriatric medicine.