CANADA: Geriatrics, a profession that deserves respect

. GUELPH, Ontario (The Guelph Mercury), August 23, 2008: The departure this month of Dr. Sheri-Lynn Kane, the only geriatrician serving Guelph and Wellington County, will leave a worrisome gap in the treatment of the elderly locally. While Kane, who is heading to the University of Western Ontario in London to teach medical students, will be returning to Guelph next month for one day a week to deal with patients who are already booked -- and local health officials seem optimistic that they will be able to provide other coverage -- it could be a very uphill battle to attract a full-time replacement. That's because there is a startling dearth of interest in geriatrics among Canadian medical students. Canada is already seriously underserviced by geriatricians -- physicians who specialize in the treatment of the elderly. There are a mere 211 operating across the country, less than half the number needed, according to experts in the field. Most concerning is the fact there is little indication that number is going to increase substantially at a time when Canada's seniors population is undergoing extraordinary growth. And with the aging of the baby-boom generation it will continue to do so. Census figures for 2006 released last fall by Statistics Canada showed the number of Canadians 80 and older had jumped 25 per cent, to 1.2 million, from 2001. And by 2016, that number is projected to reach 5.8 million. One of the major correctives needed is to establish an appropriate salary level to recognize the unique role that geriatricians play in the health-care system. They are paid comparatively poorly when measured against such other specialists as surgeons and cardiologists, in the main because of the fee-for-service model of remuneration. That system favours doctors who see large numbers of patients and perform procedures, which isn't the case with those who work with the elderly. And for students graduating medical school with a boatload of debt, salaries are an understandable consideration when they contemplate their career path. But geriatrics is also a profession that doesn't get nearly the respect it deserves, and that lapse may be an unsettling reflection of the lack of respect society as a whole accords the elderly. Parents and teachers have a role to play in engendering greater respect for the elderly among the young, but the media, advertisers and other persuaders need to re-examine their fixation on youth culture and present realistic portrayals of all members of society. This could provide the inspiration needed to draw prospective young doctors to a life of caring for the elderly -- one of the noblest professions of all. © Copyright 2008 Metroland Media Group Ltd