Geriatrics jobs

As the human body ages, its regenerative capabilities are compromised resulting in a much more difficult and complicated recovery from illnesses and the inevitable injuries due to diminished reflexes and decision making abilities. The result is an upsurge in the demand for specialized medical care for the elderly, making Geriatrics jobs some of the most lucrative employment opportunities available in medicine today. The field is diverse in its specializations, which range from geriatric psychiatric care, dentistry, dermatology, rheumatology, oncology to nephrology among others. Due to the delicate nature of geriatric medicine, lots of care and high quality training are both prerequisites to a successful career in this field.

Apart from geriatric physicians, additional support staff such as nurses with specialized training in health care for the elderly and surgeons will work together to provide relief and continuous care for the elderly. Geriatricians are considered as primary care-physicians and as such they may start their path to geriatrics as fully certified internal or family medicine physicians who then obtain the necessary specialized training and a certificate of Added-qualifications (denoted CAQ) in geriatric-medicine. Geriatrics jobs are suited for those with professional expertise in the impact aging have on illness patterns, elderly drug therapy, rehabilitation, and the aging process.

The roles that define geriatrics jobs aren't necessarily confined to health facilities since long-term care and terminal conditions often call for home based medical intervention . In some instances, these professionals have the ethical duty to validate the physical and often mental state of their patients especially when it comes to decision making. A geriatrics caregiver interacts with pharmacists, social workers, nurses and therapists to ensure all round comprehensive care for the elderly. Since Geriatrics jobs are engaging and often intense, some valuable personal traits to have for the care giver include patience, attention to detail, and being a team player.

While most board certified family physicians can carry out the duties of a good number of geriatrics jobs, some bodies like the Association of American-Medical Colleges have come up to recommend several minimum competencies that graduating doctors must satisfy to give an assurance of their ability to give geriatric care. The American Geriatrics-Society has listed these to include proficiency in cognitive/behavioral disorders, medication management, hospital and palliative care for the elderly, Balance and gait disorders, health care promotion and planning, atypical disease presentation among others. With the necessary qualifications, Geriatrics jobs provide a wide range of sub-specializations to choose from depending on one's preference.

In recent years, there has been an almost crippling under supply of geriatricians which in turn has seen the available ones being compensated handsomely for their services. They also get to enjoy some of the most enticing benefits and favorable workplace conditions in medicine today. A recent spot check placed the average geriatrics jobs annual remuneration at 150,300$ with experience and higher qualifications tending to raise the figure. Other factors such as one's field of specialization and particular area of employment have a significant effect in the geriatricians earning power. Geriatrics jobs provide the opportunity to engage in a highly satisfying career while earning a generous wage in the process.