Intensive early exposure to geriatric psychiatry in residency training: impact on career choice and practice

The authors examined the impact of intensive early exposure to geriatric psychiatry on the career choice of trainees. All psychiatrists who had completed a six month inpatient rotation on a general hospital psychogeriatric unit as part of their first year of residency were interviewed three to 12 years later with a questionnaire designed to elicit practice patterns, prior interest in geriatrics, and the major influences of the rotation. Nine of 16 trainees had spent more than 50% of their time since graduation treating elderly patients. Those surveyed who were not practicing geriatrics spontaneously reported positive influences of the rotation on psychiatry training in general. The nature of geriatric psychiatry and the clinical issues, as well as the supervisors and educational activities were rated as the most important influences of the rotation. Early experience in psychogeriatrics seems valuable for subspecialty recruitment as well as general psychiatry training.