VA Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics

Eligibility: All Prospective Fellows

Have a demonstrated interest in a career in a geriatrics-related field that will serve veterans who receive care in the VA.

Eligibility: Physicians

Fellowship Requirements

• Internal or family medicine: Completed fellowship in geriatric medicine or another specialty
• Psychiatry: Completed fellowship in geriatric psychiatry
• Other: N/A

Licensure

• Eligible for an active, full, and unrestricted license to practice in Wisconsin

Board Certification

• Internal or family medicine: Board certified in primary specialty, Board eligible in subspecialty
• Psychiatry: Board certified in primary specialty, Board eligible in subspecialty
• Other: Board eligible in primary specialty

Graduates of non-U.S. Medical Schools

• Have required Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate (ECFMG) documentation

Non-US Citizens

• Hold an H-1B visa

Eligibility: Non-Physicians

Training

• Graduate of an accredited clinical doctoral program, including all required residency or internship experiences necessary to be eligible for VA employment

Eligible Professions

• Nursing
• Dentistry
• Optometry
• Psychology
• Podiatry
• Pharmacy
• Audiology
• Speech pathology

Clinical Experience

• One year of postdoctoral clinical training in the discipline, preferably in geriatrics

Citizenship

• U.S. citizen

Please email applications to Elizabeth Chapman, MD, program director, at least six months in advance of your desired start date. Applications should include:

• A letter of interest from the applicant that includes the area(s) of scholarly interest, proposed scholarly project, and anticipated service of project on veterans
• Current Curriculum Vitae
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from a proposed project mentor

• 100% of the Advanced Geriatrics fellowship graduates in the last three years were hired into academic positions
• Fellows produce a mean of four publications during the training period
• Fellows have successfully used their training time to apply for future research funding, including VA Career Development and University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Awards

Meet an Alum

Recent Graduates

View list of recent graduates (PDF)

Core Faculty

• Steven Barczi, MD, GRECC Associate Director/Clinical
• Roz Anderson, PhD, GRECC Associate Director/Research
• Sanjay Asthana, MD, GRECC Director

Didactic Experiences

Fellows attend division conferences throughout the year, plus these conferences:

• Geriatric Medicine Core Lecture Series. Lectures on key geriatric medicine topics, led by area content experts
• GRECC Webinar Series. A live, virtual conference series that shares the research, education, and clinical innovations developed by GRECC leaders across the country

Scholarly Activity

Year One:

• At 3 months: complete research proposal 
• At 6 months: obtain IRB approval of project
• At 9 months: present at Division Journal Club
• At 12 months: submit initial work for presentation at a local or national society meeting

Year Two:

• Submit a manuscript for publication to a journal
• Present project(s) at Division Grand Rounds

Fellows' Scholarly Activity Examples

• Aaron Kuntz, MD: Following his training in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Kuntz joined the Advanced Geriatrics fellowship with the goal of developing his skills in quality improvement while enhancing the quality of care delivered to older adults with advanced diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and oxygen-dependent COPD. He assisted in the quantitative evaluation of the VA’s Cognitive Care Clinic, a unique interprofessional clinic for people with advanced dementia that incorporates expertise from Speech Language Pathologists, Social Workers, Neuropsychologists, Nurses, and Physicians to best serve veterans and their care partners.
• Daniel Liebzeit, PhD, RN: During his fellowship, Dr. Liebzeit assisted in evaluation of an innovative VA inpatient geriatric consultative service, the Elder Veterans Prevention Program. He provided guidance to measure quantitative outcomes, supported program dissemination through manuscripts, and conducted a qualitative analysis of nurses’ experiences with the program.

We know mentorship is imperative in guiding the next generation of academically oriented subspecialists, and we have a program in place to support your career planning and development.

Mentorship Structure

Prospective fellows identify a mentor from our VA GRECC faculty when applying for the advanced fellowship.

You’ll meet with your mentor and the program director regularly based on your needs. As your vision for the fellowship evolves, the program director will assist you ensuring you have the right mentors to help you achieve your goals.

The Ways We Mentor You

• Scholarly Project Development and Dissemination. Your faculty mentor will help guide you through the process of developing a scholarly project, from seeking IRB approval or exemption and launching your project to analyzing data and disseminating your findings.
• Career Development. Your faculty mentor and the program director will support you during your training and beyond. You will receive guidance on building a CV and portfolio, applying to jobs, networking with other VA sites, and seeking out a career path in the field.

Vision Statement

Improving healthcare through advanced training of emerging interprofessional leaders

Mission Statement

The VA Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics aligns closely with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) initiatives to meet the current and emerging needs of Veterans. To aid in attaining the VHA’s mission to provide “exceptional health care,” the VA Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics broadly targets training in health care education, advanced clinical practice, research, and policy initiatives that improve the health and well-being of our Nation’s Veterans.