Geriatric medical education in Louisiana: current status and future needs

Despite the impending explosion in the size of American's elderly population, physicians remain undertrained in geriatric medicine. In Louisiana, this training is especially important for the family physician and internist, many of whom practice primarily in rural areas and carry the bulk of nursing home patient care on their shoulders. Louisiana's medical schools offer little in the way of training in geriatric medicine, despite the author's finding that there is a strong interest for such training among practitioners and residents. Meanwhile, at the national level, leaders in geriatric medicine are working to develop new ways to encourage participation in geriatric educational opportunities.