Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program

About the Fellowship

Our purpose is to train the next generation of geriatricians that can understand the physical, psychological, social, and environmental needs of the aging person. Our trainees become proficient in providing older adults with the best possible care as they transition through various care settings.

The one-year clinical fellowship program focuses on the care of adults aged 65 years and older. Fellows will become proficient in caring for patients in the ambulatory, acute, sub-acute, and home settings. Fellows will also become skillful at collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of other physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and geriatric case managers. Our goal is to ensure our trainees graduate as top-tier clinicians, teachers, clinical innovators, and researchers.

Candidates interested in pursuing an academic career and additional training in geriatric research or medical education are eligible to apply to the Second Year Geriatric Medicine Fellowship program through our affiliation with the Veterans Affairs’ Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers (GRECCs). This second year provides additional training under the guidance of expert faculty from the VA Boston Division of the New England GRECC and Harvard Medical School. Geriatrics fellows may apply during their clinical fellowship year. Find additional information on the VA's GRECC advanced fellowship.

Additionally, fellows could also pursue the Mass General Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Center for Aging and Serious Illness Bridge-The-Gap National Institute on Aging T32 Research Fellowship. This two-year research fellowship opportunity can follow the year of clinical training and is directed toward physicians (MD, DO, or equivalent) who wish to prepare themselves for an academic research career focused on improving the lives of older patients and those with complex illnesses. The goal of this fellowship is to train early investigators prepared to move these fields forward through the conduct of highest-quality research. A separate application is required. For more information, visit the CASI website or contact mghbridgethegap@mgb.org.

For additional information, please contact our program coordinator.

Clinical Experience

Fellows will learn expert care of older patients across the continuum of care supervised by Geriatric Medicine faculty from Mass General and affiliated sites.

Curriculum

The Geriatric Medicine Fellowship curriculum was designed using a competency-based framework to teach and evaluate based on the Curricular Milestones for Graduating Geriatric Fellows proposed by the American Geriatric Society.

Scholarship Opportunities & Research

In 2019, Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH joined the team as the inaugural Minaker Chair in Geriatrics and Director of Research for the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatrics. An expert in advanced illness and multimorbidity, Dr. Ritchie brings a wealth of clinical and research experience to the Division and the Department of Medicine at Mass General. She also established a Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) in the Mongan Institute. The Center is designed to bring together researchers across Mass General who will focus on improving the well-being of older adults and enhancing the lived experience of those with advanced illnesses applying methods from intervention, implementation, population health, and health policy research. The Center partners with Mongan Institute investigators and researchers across Mass General, and the Boston community as a whole, to find innovative solutions to health-related challenges that an increasing number of older adults will face in the years to come.

During the fellowship, there will be various opportunities to get involved in research projects depending on interest. Fellows can discuss interests with the program director and CASI faculty who will help identify feasibility, resources and mentoring.

There are many different areas in which fellows can get involved with research projects, including:

• Geriatric Oncology
• Ortho-Geriatrics
• Geriatric Cardiology
• Dementia
• Geri-ED

Current Fellows

Andrew Murphy, MBBCh

Andrew Murphy, MBBCh was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Prior to attending medical school at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he worked as a volunteer at Sunnybrook Veterans Center, the largest veterans care facility in Canada. Andrew completed an internal medicine residency at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and was a member of the Geriatric Cardiology Section of the American College of Cardiology. He is interested in improving quality of life for elderly patients affected by cardiovascular disease, and optimizing patient selection for interventional procedures in frail populations.

Serge Samaha, MD

Serge Samaha, MD earned his bachelor's degree in Biology from Notre Dame University, Lebanon, before embarking on his medical journey at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Balamand in Lebanon. His commitment to healthcare led him to Saint Georges Hospital in Beirut, where he dedicated himself to serving diverse and underserved communities. He completed his internal medicine residency at Tufts Medical Center, Boston in 2024, where he focused on medical education through simulation. His goal is to enhance the quality of life for older adults by tailoring medical interventions to individual needs and to better integrate geriatric medicine into all stages of medical education and training.

MGH Geriatric Medicine Faculty

• Sharon Levine, MD, AGSF
  
  • Section Chief, Geriatric Medicine
• Christine Ritchie, MD, MSPH
  
  • Director of Research, Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine
  • Director, Mongan Institute Center for Aging and Serious Illness, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Deborah Lee, MD
  • Program Director, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program
• Esteban Franco Garcia, MD, AGSF
  
  • Medical Director, Geriatric Inpatient Fracture Service (GIFTS)
  • Division’s Quality and Safety Director
• Matthew Russell, MD
  • Clinical Director, Geriatric Medicine Section
• Warren Backman, MBBS
• Sevdenur Cizginer, MD, MPH
• Thomas Finucane, MD
• Esteban Franco Garcia, MD, AGSF
• Kathryn Hanley, MD
• Masaya Higuchi, MD, MPH, AGSF
• Elizabeth Lindenberger, MD
• Chuck Pu, MD

Application Requirements

Requirements to apply for our ACGME-accredited Geriatric Medicine Fellowship include:

• Applicants must have completed residency in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine successfully and in good standing prior to the start of their fellowship
• ABIM or ABFM board-certified or board-eligible
• Completion and passing of all three USLME steps prior to the start of the fellowship
• Applicants with H-1B or J-1 visa are accepted. A valid ECFMG certificate for all foreign medical graduates is required
• The accepted applicant must obtain a full or limited Massachusetts Physician license (limited license if on a visa)

How to Apply

The Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program at Massachusetts General Hospital will be processing applications through the Electronic Residency Application (ERAS) Fellowships system. Only applicants who have completed a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine at an ACGME-accredited residency program will be considered.

We offer two fellowship positions each academic year through the National Matching Program (NRMP®).

Please submit the following application materials via the ERAS portal:

• Curriculum vitae
• A personal statement describing the applicant's interest in and commitment to a career in geriatric medicine
• Three or four letters of recommendation, one of which should be from the applicant's department head, program director or division chief
• USMLE transcript

Timeline

• Early June: Applications are accepted via ERAS®.
• Late-July – Late-August: Program leadership reviews applications and sends out interview invitations.
• September 1: Application deadline, after which applications will no longer be reviewed. All interview spots are usually filled by this date.
• September – October: Interviews are conducted on Fridays via live video-conferencing. Applicants will meet with our program leadership, faculty, and current fellows. Without exception, no candidates will be interviewed in person.
• Early December: Match results are released. For more information about the Match process, please visit the NRMP® website

Other Fellowships

Learn more about fellowships at Mass General Brigham:

• Trainee Contract & Salary Information 
• Benefits Information 
• Institutional Policies 
• Visa Status/Eligibility Information 
• ECFMG Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program (EVSP)