MetLife Foundation Awards $200,000 Grant to Provide Geriatric Training

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The American Federation for Aging Research announces that it has been awarded a $200,000 grant from MetLife Foundation for its Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program. The funding will provide 50 medical students with the opportunity to participate in an eight- to twelve-week research, educational, and clinical mentorship program alongside top experts at some of the leading academic institutions in the country. Geriatric training is an increasing necessity, when one considers that over the next two decades, the number of older adults in the United States is expected to increase to 70 million.

According to the Institute of Medicine, more than 75 percent of adults over 65 suffer from at least one chronic medical condition that requires ongoing care and management; and 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have five or more chronic conditions. Despite a rising elderly population, however, the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) reports that in 2008 there were only 7,590 board certified geriatricians — one geriatrician for every 2,500 Americans 75 or older. The ratio is expected to decrease to one geriatrician for every 4,254 older Americans by 2030. An April 2008 report by the Institute of Medicine called for more and enhanced geriatrics training for all health professionals and the offering of financial incentive plans to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists.

To address these challenges, the MSTAR program was launched to attract more physicians to geriatric research, teaching, and clinical practice by providing early exposure to the field and reinforcing students’ interests throughout their medical training. Since 1994, the program has trained approximately 1,350 medical students from almost all of the medical schools in the United States. Students train at nationally renowned training centers supported by the National Institute on Aging, another sponsor of the program or in some cases, at their home institution.