Executive Summary
The population of people over the age of 65 is increasing in our nation, but health care workers specialized in geriatrics are steadily decreasing. This speciality is not usually chosen as it’s seen as complex and not rewarding. However, there also is not a lot of exposure in regards to geriatrics as a specialty. Raising awareness about this shortage in our younger population will be critical to lessening this shortage in the future and supporting our aging population.
About the Author
Ashley Roselyn Vincent has been a volunteer with Youth In Pre Med for the past year. She has now started a chapter in India, Youth in Pre Med India, in order to open up opportunities where they are not available.
Introduction
Literature Review
There is a shortage of healthcare workers across various specialties, such as surgery, obstetrics and anesthesiology. A literature review showed that low to middle income countries (LMICs) are facing a surgery workforce crisis. While LMICs are facing a shortage of healthcare workers in surgery, the United States is facing a shortage in a different speciality, geriatrics (Hoyler et al., 2014; Finlayson et al., 2014; McClain et al., 2014; Meara et al., 2014; Hagander et al., 2014).
In order to reduce the shortage of physicians in rural areas, India has taken a step by setting up an accelerated medical path in 300 medical schools. It allows highschool students to graduate in 3 and a half years, which is two years less, upon completing the 3 and a half years they are awarded a bachelors in rural medicine and surgery. Doctors graduating from this program are allowed to practice only in rural areas ( Jayaraman et al., 2010). By making a change in the system, they are reducing healthcare inequity. In the same way, we can make progress in reducing the shortage of geriatricians.
The population of seniors has been increasing over the years, but healthcare workers who are specialized to take care of them have not; in fact they have been decreasing. Geriatrics is not a popularly chosen speciality, reasons behind it being, intimidated by the complexity, the speciality being viewed as non rewarding and some students not being exposed to the field at all (Holveck et al., 2018; Wick et al., 2018)
Rationale
Many graduating healthcare workers do not pick geriatrics as their speciality as they have not had enough exposure to it. That makes them think that it is a complex and unrewarding spaciality. With the geriatic population increasing, the lack of exposure should not be the reason they are not receiving the care they need.
Proposed Program
In order to raise awareness about the shortage of geriatricians early on, it is essential that we start with students while they are still in school. Our proposed program is for Youth in Pre Med, a student organization in the Bay Area, to partner with hospitals and host events for high school and middle school students.
Key Design Decisions
Initiative Mission
Youth In Pre Med is dedicated to inspiring young audiences to tackle the shortages of physicians. This project will be focusing on the shortage of geriatricians.
Program Description
Youth in Pre Med is an organization that has chapters all over the world. Youth in Pre Med’s mission aligns very closely with reducing the shortage of geriatricians. The organization focuses on reducing the shortage of physicians. This initiative currently includes virtual events held over zoom, with a presentation focusing on chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, as well as hands-on activities that would be led by both guest professionals and student leaders. Interactive activities include games, quizzes and team activities. We will hold these events once every two weeks with eight sessions, each session focusing on a different illness in the geriatic population.
Adjusting the Program
All the participants fill out a questionnaire/ survey before and then after. The answers will allow us to gauge our results.
Sample Event
In this section, we detail the schedule of a possible event to help raise awareness to high school students about diabetes and dementia.
Time: 11 am - 12 pm
Schedule
11:00 - 11:20: Welcome and Activity (How to Check Blood Sugar)
11:20 - 11:30: Presentation on Blood Sugar and Diabetes
11:30 - 11:40: Guest Speaker on Medication and Lifestyle Adjustments to treating diabetes; Chemistry of Diabetes
11:40 - 11:50: Q&A about Career with Geriatrician
11:50 - 12:00: Hands-On Activity (Insulin Injection Demonstration)
Time: 11 am - 12 pm
Schedule
11:00 - 11:30: Welcome and Presentation on Geriatric Psychiatry
11:30 - 11:50: Guest Speaker on Medical School and Geriatric Psychiatry
11:50 - 12:00: Q&A and Wrap-Up
Bibliography
E;, L. P. E. D. T. S. W. (2020, October). The looming geriatrician shortage: Ramifications and solutions. Journal of aging and health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31583940/.
Get the Facts on Healthy Aging. National Council on Aging. (2021, January). https://www.ncoa.org/article/get-the-facts-on-healthy-aging.
Hoyler M;Finlayson SR;McClain CD;Meara JG;Hagander L; (2014, February). Shortage of doctors, shortage of data: A review of the global surgery, obstetrics, and anesthesia workforce literature. World journal of surgery. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24218153/.
Jayaraman, K. (2010, April). India moves toward creating a new cadre of rural doctors. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/nm0410-350b#citeas.
JY;, H. C. A. W. (2018, March 1). Addressing the shortage of Geriatric Specialists. The Consultant pharmacist : the journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29720298/.
