USA: The Patients Doctors Don't Know

. NEW YORK, NY / The New York Times / Letters / July 12, 2009 Letter Health Care for the Elderly To the Editor: Re “The Patients Doctors Don’t Know,” by Rosanne M. Leipzig (Op-Ed, July 2): A sign of a successful society is how it treats its elders. Given the terrible shortage of doctors now trained to address the special needs of older people, we are failing these patients, and ultimately ourselves. In thinking about health care reform, ways must be sought to attract future physicians to geriatrics by building incentives like parity of compensation and decent reimbursement rates, which will make geriatrics a more attractive professional option. The Medical Student Training in Aging Research scholarship program, supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation, the National Institute on Aging and several other foundations, has attracted more than 1,300 medical students since 1994 because of its innovative approach to geriatric medicine. Students have an opportunity to conduct research, interact with patients, network and gain exposure to innovative ideas and insights in geriatrics. [rc] Stephanie Lederman, Executive Director American Federation for Aging Research New York, July 2, 2009 Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company