Geriatric Medicine at UBC is well established in Canada as a division and training program and is unique as a province-wide training program offering opportunities to train with our diverse faculty in different models of care at multiple sites throughout British Columbia.

Our residents are exposed to a broad range of experiences including in-hospital acute care of the older adult (ACE) units, consultation, rehabilitation, community care, specialized clinics, residential care, as well as rural outreach.

UBC Geriatric Medicine is a large division with highly active clinical, educational, research interests, and leadership roles. This includes strong links with community-based geriatricians across the province, Care for Elders Family Physicians, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Geriatric Psychiatry, and Geriatric Cardiology. Special emphasis is made on acute care geriatrics, and faculty and residents collaborate to maintain an active presence on Clinical Teaching Units and Acute Care geriatrics units. Trainees can choose from specialized ambulatory clinics including Cardiology, Continence, Dementia/Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Falls Prevention, Kidney Disease, Movement Disorders, Osteoporosis, and Pre-operative assessment, among others. Our fellows consider their longitudinal clinic a highlight of their training where they follow patients over their entire two years and develop skills in practice management. The Division and resident staff are vibrant, dedicated, collegial, and diverse.

The Lead Resident for each PGY-year collaborates with the Program Director and the RTC to review and develop the Academic program tailored to trainee needs. The program includes an academic half-day every Wednesday and teleconferenced province-wide division Grand rounds and Journal Clubs. Another highlight is our annual Resident Retreat is held each winter, concentrating on non-Medical Expert Competencies.

Funding for required resources (e.g. AGS syllabus, Geriatrics At Your Fingertips, society memberships) is provided to each resident. Electronic resources include e-mail access, internet access, Up to Date, and Medline access. Our program uses One45 for rotation scheduling and program evaluation and Entrada for resident portfolios and EPA observations.

Special opportunities in the program include mandatory rural Northern Outreach trips in each year of training. National and international conferences are funded annually for residents, including the Annual Canadian Geriatrics Society Residents’ Day and one international review course (eg. Edinburgh, Harvard, or UCLA). Residents are mentored in their research and scholarly projects while in the program and are strongly encouraged and supported to present at conferences. Our residents are also key role models for our specialty through involvement in student and resident teaching, and with national and UBC-based interest groups.

The program stresses education over service, and there are minimal call requirements: These are scheduled during rotations on core geriatrics services. All geriatric services are designed to allow residents the ability to partake in all educational experiences e.g. courses, workshops, and conferences. There are numerous social events including Summer BBQ and New Year gatherings, and residents with families are supported in maintaining work-life balance.

UBC Geriatric Medicine Program Video watch here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V7WaZbn1r4