Motivations for Pursuing Geriatric Medicine: Perspectives from Fellows and Recent Graduates - Datasets

This qualitative study explored factors that motivated medical trainees to pursue fellowship training in geriatric medicine, with the aim of informing educational strategies to strengthen the geriatric medicine workforce in the United States. Thirteen participants – either current fellows or recent graduates from 3 accredited, U.S-based, geriatric fellowship programs – were interviewed. The semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the research team manually reviewed the transcripts for coding and analysis. Thematic analysis identified key motivators: personal relationships with older adults, early clinical exposure to geriatrics, and mentorship from geriatricians. Participants described geriatrics as offering meaningful relationships with patients and caregivers, interdisciplinary collaboration, flexible career paths, and favorable work-life integration. However, they also reported challenges, including navigating the medical complexity of older patients and working in a healthcare system that undervalues both preventive care and the needs of older adults. Many emphasized the need for more structured and visible integration of geriatrics into undergraduate and graduate medical education. Findings highlight the importance of early exposure, mentorship, and intentional curriculum design to attract and retain medical trainees who may be drawn to geriatric medicine.本质性研究探究了促使医学受训者选择老年医学专科进修培训的核心动因，旨在为优化教育策略、强化美国老年医学医护人员队伍提供参考依据。研究共招募13名参与者，均为美国3家经认证的老年医学专科进修培训项目的在读专科医师或近期结业学员，随后对其开展半结构化访谈。半结构化访谈全程录音并转录为文本，研究团队手动对转录文本进行编码与主题分析。通过主题分析法提炼出三大关键驱动因素：与老年群体建立的人际联结、早期临床接触老年医学场景，以及老年医学专科医师的指导。参与者表示，老年医学可为从业者提供与患者及照护者建立深度联结的契机、跨学科协作的平台、灵活的职业发展路径，以及均衡协调的工作生活状态。但参与者同时也提及了诸多挑战：需应对老年患者复杂的临床诊疗难题，且需在既低估预防医学价值、又忽视老年群体需求的医疗体系中开展工作。多数参与者强调，亟需推动老年医学以更系统化、更具辨识度的方式融入本科及研究生医学教育体系。本研究结果凸显了早期接触老年医学、专科医师指导以及精心规划的课程设计，对于吸引并留住有志投身老年医学领域的医学受训者的重要意义。