Physician Assistant Post-Graduate Residency in Geriatric Medicine
Provides a superb educational environment in which certified Physician Assistants (PA-C) are trained to work within an interprofessional team to provide the highest level of patient-centered care for older Veterans with complex medical issues.
Overview
Training for the year-long residency occurs in a dynamic clinical and academic environment, to expose the residents to basic and advanced geriatric concepts and techniques.
Training is provided in clinics, on hospital units, and across a broad continuum of care from house calls to hospice.
Under the mentorship of our outstanding faculty, the resident gains the confidence and experience necessary to practice in a wide variety of clinical settings.
Objectives
- Add expertise in Geriatric Medicine to your PA credentials
- Enhance your skills, experience, and marketability
- Develop leadership, quality management, and presentation skills
Benefits
- No call; no night or weekend responsibilities
- Generous stipend: $90,929 for AY 2024-2025
- Vacation time and sick leave
- Paid Health Professions Trainees who are appointed with a Not to Exceed one year appointment are eligible for Federal Employee Healthcare Benefits. They are not eligible for benefits such as FMLA, paid parental leave, Life Insurance, etc.
- Liability coverage
Educational Components
- PA Residency lecture series
- Geriatric immersion course and weekly educational sessions (held in conjunction with the Baylor College of Medicine Geriatric Medicine Fellows)
- Rotation-based specialty lecture content
- Grand Rounds
- Faculty mentorship
- Quality Improvement project/Academic project
- Education and experience in developing and presenting academic presentation (Grand Rounds, etc.)
Clinical components
Residents have weekly outpatient continuity experience in the geriatric primary care clinic, geriatrics dementia/cognitive clinic, comprehensive kidney clinic, primary care, and co-management clinics.
Month-long core rotations include:
- Long-term care
- Intermediate level care (skilled nursing facility)
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Hospice/Palliative care
- Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)
- Wound care
- Rural health/Community Based Outpatient Clinic
- Outpatient Geriatrics Clinic and clinic management
Electives available include, but are not limited to:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonary
- Endocrinology/diabetes
- HIV/AIDS/Infectious Disease
- Dermatology
- Neurology
- Orthopedics/PM&R
- Women’s Health Clinic
- Gastroenterology
Additional Focus Areas
- Age friendly care
- Care of community-dwelling elders
- Long-term care and transitions of care
- Cognitive assessment
- Mobility issues
- Goals of care planning
- End of-life care
- Team-based, interdisciplinary care
- Evidence-based medicine
- Ethical issues in Geriatric Medicine
- Healthy aging
- Holistic care of aging patients
Admission Requirements
Qualified applicants must have each of the following by the time of application:
- Graduation or anticipated* graduation from an ARC-PA accredited PA Program
- Certification by NCCPA or eligible to register for PANCE*
- US citizenship
Required documents
- Transcripts from PA program and any graduate-level programs
- Current NCCPA certification or eligibility for certification*
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
Reference documents
Competitive applicants will be interviewed.
*If accepted, you must graduate AND obtain NCCPA certification prior to beginning residency.
- Applications accepted March 25 through April 8, 2024 for July 1, 2024. One position available.
- Applications accepted March 25, 2024 through July 29, 2024 for January 6, 2024. Four positions available.
Contact:
Michael J. Anderson, MPAS, PA-C
Physician Assistant Residency in Geriatric Medicine
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Blvd., ECL (110)
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone: 713-794-7375
Email: Michael.J.Anderson@VA.gov or HoustonPAResidency@VA.gov
Key Faculty
- Michael J. Anderson, MPAS, PA-C, Residency Director
- Edith Wong, MD, Medical Director
- Aimee Garcia, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Academic Liaison
Health Professions Trainees (HPTs) are appointed as temporary employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. As such, HPTs are subject to laws, policies, and guidelines posted for VA staff members. There are infrequent times in which this guidance can change during a training year which may create new requirements or responsibilities for HPTs. If employment requirements change during the course of a training year, HPTs will be notified of the change and impact as soon as possible and options provided. The VA Training Director for your profession will provide you with the information you need to understand the requirement and reasons for the requirement in timely manner.