The geriatric medicine fellowship at Marshall University plays an important role in providing specialty-trained geriatricians for rural local and regional communities in the heart of Appalachia. Not only does this special population of patients require clinical expertise but the need also exists for advocacy within academic health systems, among the state’s physicians and hospitals, research of new solutions that encourage healthy aging at home and faculty to teach special skills in geriatrics to students and residents in a wide range of specialties.

Program Aims

1. Successfully train physicians who will practice as board certified geriatricians in West Virginia and the local Central Appalachia region with a special emphasis on serving rural communities.
2. Develop board certified geriatricians to support the growth in practice scope and outreach of the divisions within the Departments of Family and Community Health and Department of Internal Medicine
3. Encourage the development of investigational skills focusing on community-based research leading to increased publication and presentation within the departments.
4. Reduce medically related costs of the geriatric population within the local region by offering more widespread and community integrated geriatric health care and services.