Ärzte für die Alten – Forschungskolleg Geriatrie neu ausgeschrieben

Stuttgart – November 5, 2007 – Geriatrics is steadily gaining in importance as a medical discipline in our ageing society. Robert Bosch Stiftung founded the geriatrics research college “Forschungskolleg Geriatrie” in 2002 to sponsor young doctors who are aiming at academic management positions in geriatrics. The ongoing aim of the foundation is to ensure that geriatrics becomes a fixed component of medical research, teaching, and clinical practice so as to provide the best possible care for our ageing population in the future. Approximately 30 young doctors have been accepted into the college so far. Ten of them have completed the course and now work as medical researchers in geriatrics. The college currently has six new openings. Applications close on January 15, 2008.

The program is designed for doctors with at least three years' clinical experience who aim to specialize in geriatrics. They should be planning to obtain their postdoctoral lecturing qualification and should complete their specialist training (or optional training in clinical geriatrics) during the sponsorship period. The research college aims to train doctors to assume executive academic positions in the field of geriatrics. The college graduates should be able to work in geriatrics on both the clinical and the scientific level. At the end of the program, they should have the prospect of obtaining a professorship in the near future.

Successful applicants will be accepted into the college for a period of four years and will be employed at one of the participating facilities. During this time, the foundation will finance their release from clinical work for research purposes for a maximum of two years. The rest of the sponsorship period should be used for ongoing clinical education. Additionally, grants can be requested to cover material costs and travel expenses for travel to conferences, as well as specific further education measures. The college offers its own comprehensive training program which is open to all program participants. They will be supervised by experienced mentors during implementation of their research projects.

The foundation cooperates with seven clinical partners in Germany and Switzerland, and program participants will work in one of them for the duration of the sponsorship period. The partners are:

• Albertinen-Haus Zentrum für Geriatrie Hamburg
• Marienhospital Herne, Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Bethanien-Krankenhaus Geriatrisches Zentrum Heidelberg
• Bethesda Geriatrische Klinik Ulm
• Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus Klinik für Geriatrische Rehabilitation Stuttgart
• Klinikum Nürnberg / Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V (Geriatrie) der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Geriatrie Universität Bern

Applications for the current round close on January 15, 2008.