There is a growing need for primary care providers to work with the aging population. As the percentages of older adults increase, there is a greater need for specialists in geriatrics. This article describes the work of geriatricians, who are specialists in Adult-Gerontology.
Become aware of your reasons for choosing geriatrics as a career path. If you like working with individual patients and their families and want to make a difference in people’s lives, consider geriatrics.
Adult-Gerontology (AG) is the branch of medicine that focuses on the care of adults .and older adults for conditions associated with aging.
Most AG physicians work in hospitals, but a significant group of AG physicians works in ambulatory care centers, offering healthcare services outside hospitals.
Let’s explore the top reasons to study adult gerontology:
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Growing Population
There will be nearly 500 million people worldwide who are 80 years and older by 2030. This fact presents an incredible growth opportunity as older adults increase. It also means that any career path involving older adults will have a growing population of potential clients. Allows you to focus on primary care, surgery, or any other area of medicine that meets your interests and needs.
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More Knowledge
The more you know, the better you are at your job. AG physicians have an abundance of information available to them. By staying on top of current research, you are helping patients stay current with the latest diagnostic procedures and treatments. The essence of CE programs is crucial for AG physicians to stay current with the latest in AG medicine. Similarly, the MSN AGACNP program is designed with the same concept in mind.
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Aging Is Universal
Age is a universal human experience, and the need for AG physicians will be everywhere. AG physicians are frequently the only healthcare professionals available in rural communities, making your services even more essential to often geographically isolated clients.
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Aging Is Not a Disease
Many people believe that aging is a disease, and therefore, geriatricians treat older adults who are sick, but this is not true. AG physicians primarily focus on caring for healthy older adults and helping them stay that way as long as possible. Also, the aging Population includes all races, sexes, ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic groups.
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Patient Care Is In Your Hands
AG physicians have a great deal of autonomy in their professional lives. You are relied upon to make the medical decisions that will affect your patients. This role can be a great position of responsibility and trust for you to have in your career. In addition, you can have a choice of practice environments where your medical decision-making will not be limited. You may find that you are more satisfied with making your own medical decisions than working for someone else.
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AG Physicians Are Educators
As AG physicians, you are expected to teach many people who will be caring for older adults in the future. Whether your teaching is through CE programs, medical school preceptorships, or seminars for nursing students. AG physicians are often the only source of education in geriatrics present in a community. Also, due to the expanding number of older adults, there will be a growing need for more AG physicians in future years.
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Value in the community
AG physicians include medical and surgical specialists, allowing you to care for older adults in various settings. You may focus on primary care, in which you see patients with general medical conditions. Or, you might spend most of your time caring for older adults who have particular medical conditions. Or, you may work in a surgical sub-specialty helping older adults recover from surgery. Your work will be critical to the health and well-being of your community.
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Personal Reward
AG physicians work in a rewarding environment that provides direct patient care. You are the only geriatrician in many communities, and this means that you will see your clients more frequently than other physicians who might see the same number of patients. That allows you to develop a personal relationship with your clients and can be very rewarding for both you and your clients.
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Career Flexibility
AG physicians have a great deal of flexibility in their careers. You can choose to work in private practice, join an established group or start your practice. You can work in a hospital or healthcare system or focus solely on private care. Your options are largely up to you, allowing you to construct the ideal career. Besides, AG physicians are the only geriatricians that people will ever meet, so you can make a difference in your community by providing an invaluable service.
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Specialization Opportunities
As an AG physician, you can choose your sub-specialty path. This path includes selecting an AG medical sub-specialty or a surgical sub-specialty. AG Surgical Specialties may include but are not limited to general surgery or urology. AG Medical sub-specialties include internal medicine, cardiology, or neurology. However, many AG physicians do not sub-specialize but only provide general medical care to the older adult population.
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Work-Life Balance
AG physicians have relatively flexible work schedules, allowing you to balance life and work. Work hours are often less intense than other physicians who can help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. In addition, you can provide care in the community, which allows you to maintain relationships with family and friends. Besides, in your role as an AG physician, you can set an example for others to follow regarding work-life balance.
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Compensation and Career Growth
AG physicians are well compensated compared to other medical specialties. AG physicians who work in a hospital or other healthcare setting can maximize revenue by seeing as many patients as possible. AG physicians can also grow their practices by using various business models such as concierge medicine or other direct payment services.
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Career Status
AG physicians are most often considered independent contractors. Therefore, you can work freely in your community without being restricted by medical practice, hospital, or healthcare system rules or regulations. You are not bound to an employer’s policies and can set your preferred hours. AG physicians benefit from a great deal of flexibility, providing a better work-life balance.
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Leadership Opportunities
AG physicians will often serve as mentors or team leaders. You can help shape the future of medicine by helping train or mentor other medical students, residents, and fellows. Your experience will benefit younger physicians who are entering the workforce. In addition, you can provide invaluable insight for future AG physicians who are making decisions on their careers.
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Prestige
AG physicians are highly respected in the field of medicine. AG physicians provide a vital service to their community and help older adults maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible. In addition, you will be able to help people in your community manage the challenges that come with aging. This great sense of satisfaction makes your job rewarding in itself.
Conclusion
Adult-gerontology nurses are required to understand the growing needs of this population and how it changes over time. AG nurses can provide better care for older adults by studying medical and surgical therapies.