Geriatric Psychiatry: Education

Kim, Doh Kwan

Abstract

The requirements for fellowship program in geriatric psychiatry in Korea has been proposed. Geriatric psychiatry is that area of psychiatry which focuses on prevention, diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of mental disorders and disturbances seen in old adult patients. An educational program in geriatric psychiatry must be organized to provide professional knowledge and well-supervised clinical experience. Educational goals, institutional organization, faculty and staff, facilities and clinical setting, and educational programs were covered in this article. The program requirements in Korea should be modified based on the environment and readiness with respect to the facilities and human resources. The fellowship period may be for one or two years, depending on the needs of the trainee. The one year program emphasizes clinical training while the two year option combines clinical and research training. The program has both didactic and experimental components. The didactic curriculum addresses normal and pathological aspects of aging, as well as current concepts for the assessment and treatment of elderly patients using the biopsychosocial model. The experimental component provides clinical and research experience in geriatric psychiatry.