AGS Student Chapter

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is the premier professional organization of health care providers dedicated to improving the health and well being of all older adults. Through panels, discussions and residency advising, the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Student Chapter seeks to educate all medical students about the clinical needs and health care concerns of older patients, encourage and provide opportunities for medical student clinical and basic science research in geriatrics, and interest physicians-in-training in the field of geriatrics.

All BU medical students are invited to join the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Student Chapter.

Through quarterly lunch meetings that include panels, discussions and residency advising, the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Student Chapter seeks to:

• Educate all medical students about the clinical needs and health care concerns of older patients
• Increase awareness of end-of-life care issues such as palliative care and hospice care
• Encourage and provide opportunities for medical student clinical and basic science research in geriatrics
• Interest physicians-in-training in the field of geriatrics
• Develop relationships between geriatrics faculty and medical students

AGS BU Student Chapter Leaders for 2022-2023:

• Co-Presidents
  • Sandeep Sreerama
  • Cara Michael
• Faculty Advisors
  • Leah Taffel, MD
  • Sarah Phillips, MD

Past Events:

October 2020: “Geriatrics Care During COVID-19”- In collaboration with Bridging Gaps in Care, Dr. Vassiliki Pravodelov spoke about geriatric care and changes to the profession in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 2020: “Geriatrics Interest Panel” – The panel introduced students (especially our new M1’s) to the field of Geriatrics by providing an opportunity to hear from current Geriatrics providers as they discuss the field, the education and training involved, and their specific interests and personal stories regarding how they became involved with the field. The panel included: Drs. Leah Taffel, Sarah Phillips, Ryan Chippendale, Perla Macip-Rodriguez, Shivani Jindal (GRECC Fellow) and Sarah King (Geriatric Medicine Fellow).

December 2017: We hosted a lunch talk with Christina DiTerlizzi, Assistant Director of Education Core for the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Ms. DiTerlizzi spoke about health vs. unhealthy aging and how to interact with patients with Alzheimer’s.

April 2017: We screened the Frontline Documentary: Being Mortal, which follows renowned New Yorker writer and Boston surgeon Atul Gawande as he explores the relationships doctors have with patients who are nearing the end of life.In conjunction with Gawande’s new book, Being Mortal, the film investigates the practice of caring for the dying, and shows how doctors — himself included — are often remarkably untrained, ill-suited and uncomfortable talking about chronic illness and death with their patients. 

Older Adult Companion Program

BUSM’s AGS student chapter is piloting a new service learning opportunity, The Older Adult Companion (OAC) Program, in which first and second year medical students are paired with nursing home residents in the community. Students participating in the program commit to visiting their companions 3-4 hours every month to spend time together (sharing stories, playing games, or watching movies) and attend lunchtime meeting once a month to reflect on their experiences. This exciting opportunity gives each student the chance to develop a longitudinal relationship with an older adult with a variety of sensory or cognitive impairments while also gaining exposure to the interdisciplinary approach to caring for older adults with chronic illness seen in nursing homes. If you are interested in getting involved or want more information on the OAC program, please contact Dr. Megan Young, (megan.young2@bmc.org).