Evolution of geriatric medicine fellowship training in the United States

The authors describe the history of subspecialty training in geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry, from the time before the formal accreditation of geriatric medicine fellowship programs, in 1988, through the following decade of 2-year accreditation programs, from 1988 to 1997, and then the recent experience with 1-year accredited geriatric medicine programs, from 1998 to the present. They present the history and development of the accrediting organizations, the development of relevant tests and curricula, and the opportunities for grants, funding, and career development, as well as a summary of present status and satisfaction of current practitioners, and provide recommendations for enhancing recruitment and retention.