The successful completion of training in the MD program in Geriatric Medicine will entitle the trainee to be eligible for Board Certification by the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine as a Specialist in Geriatric Medicine. At present there is no local programme to train a specialist in Geriatric Medicine. As Sri Lanka is a fast ageing nation in the region, the Ministry of Health has identified the need for the development of Geriatric Medicine in the country and this is the first program to be launched by the PGIM for specialization in the field of Geriatrics. The objective of the training program is to ensure that the trainee gains adequate knowledge, skills and attitudes which will enable him/her to manage age-related problems in elderly patients with multiple pathologies and sensitive emotional needs with the utmost competence and care. The trainee is expected to acquire the professional skills to be an effective leader, committed team player and a manager in the provision of health care for elderly persons including health maintenance in the older patient. The trainee is expected to acquire competence necessary to design and conduct research, critically appraise published research and be committed to the practice of evidence-based medicine and continuing professional development.

At the end of the training, the trainee is expected to achieve the following outcomes;

• Provision of care for older people in different settings, including hospitals, residential care facilities, and the community
• Conducting research in Geriatric Medicine
• Training of medical officers, healthcare workers and caregivers in different aspects of Geriatrics
• Fostering team work
• Practicing and promoting positive attitudes towards caring for older people
• Developing managerial and advocacy skills
• Promoting active healthy ageing
• Adhering to correct principles of ethical and legal issues in Geriatric Medicine

Prospective applicants who intend to join the MD (Geriatric Medicine) training programme must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible to sit for the selection examination:

1. Hold a medical degree registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).
2. Complete an internship recognized by the SLMC.
3. Complete one-year work experience in Sri Lanka, after internship.
4. Have six (6) months of experience in general medicine as an intern house officer, and/or six (6) months of experience as a full-time medical officer (consecutively or in total), with both in-ward and out-patient care, with first-on-call commitments, under the supervision of a full-time specialist, in general medicine or in cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, respiratory medicine, or rheumatology.
5. Produce a medical certificate from a specialist physician to confirm general mental and physical fitness.
6. Comply with any other PGIM regulations.
7. A candidate with a certificate of completion of specialist training from a foreign country may be exempted from the Medicine Selection Examination, provided this is in accordance with the prevailing general regulations of the PGIM. However, such candidate should comply with requirements 1, 2, 5 and 6 above to be eligible to enter the program.

Please refer to the relevant prospectus for the most up to date information. The prospectus of a particular programme contains official information pertaining to a programme approved by the Board of Management, University Senate and the University Grants Commission