Program Director's Message
We are pleased that you are visiting the Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Fellowship website. Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, our fellowship is committed to training outstanding geriatricians through diverse clinical experiences and a commitment to academic excellence. Our program prides itself on providing care for diverse older adult populations and on fostering the training of physicians from all backgrounds, including traditionally underrepresented groups. Please take some time to explore our website, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at kristina.little@bcm.edu and sjoel@bcm.edu with any questions. We look forward to sharing more about our Baylor geriatric family with you!
Kristina Little, M.D.
Program Director
About the Program
Our Geriatrics Fellowship will prepare you to be an extraordinary geriatric leader who will serve as a catalyst and advocate to foster quality of care for older adults and their caregivers through education, research and clinical care.
Texas Medical Center
The Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Fellowship, located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest ACGME-accredited geriatrics training programs in the country. Founded in 1984, the fellowship accepts six trainees per year and has produced 127 graduates. Graduates have taken positions in top clinical care programs and are leaders in some of the nation's top academic health centers. Fellows receive a wide range of clinical experiences and opportunities across diverse settings.
Fellow Testimonials
After finishing my Geriatrics Fellowship at Baylor, I completed an additional fellowship in Hematology/Oncology and now, I have been in practice for close to a year. The excellent training I received at Baylor has made me a better physician all-around. A large number of patients in my clinic with cancer are in the geriatric age group and they have a different disease physiology compared to a younger population. I make sure that I do a complete geriatric assessment and not just a rough measure of performance scale before I consider an appropriate treatment plan. I also think about the social and psychological effects of chemotherapy on each patient on an individual basis.
Another facet of the training that has been very helpful is the level of comfort I have in discussing options in palliative care as well as having an end-of-life conversation. This ensures that my treatment plan is always tailored to the patient’s wishes. To anyone applying for a Geriatrics fellowship, I would strongly encourage them to consider Baylor. The highlight of the program is the dedicated mentorship you receive, the diversity of the patient population and the excellent camaraderie among the physicians.
Watch Kamal Wagle, a former chief resident who participated in a geriatrics rotation at Baylor, talk about his experiences with the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Training Program.
Training Locations
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
A joint venture between Baylor and CHI St. Luke’s, BSLMC is one of the premier medical institutions in the Texas Medical Center. The Texas Heart Institute, part of Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, has consistently been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top 10 centers for cardiology and heart surgery. Geriatric services include a comprehensive ambulatory geriatric clinic, including social work and nutrition as well as an inpatient care transition service.
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
MEDVAMC is one of the largest VA hospitals in the United States and has eight associated community-based outpatient clinics as well as a state Veteran’s home. Geriatric services include a 141-bed Community Living Center; inpatient, outpatient, and consultative palliative medicine services; a wound care program; a geriatric outpatient clinic (primary care, co-management, and dementia clinics); and an interprofessional home visit program.
St. Dominic Village
St. Dominic Village is a faith-based, non-profit continuing care retirement community that provides a continuum of care, including short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living. Fellows participate in a continuity long-term care-experience supervised by Baylor College of Medicine geriatric faculty.
Harris Health System
A fully integrated healthcare system, HHS is designated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. It includes 18 community health centers; multiple same-day, school-based, and multi-specialty clinics; and two full-service hospitals. Geriatric services include a robust home visit program, an integrated geriatric and palliative medicine inpatient consult service and a geriatric clinic that includes a wound care program.
Houston Methodist
One of the leading academic medical centers in the Texas Medical Center, Houston Methodist is consistently listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals. Geriatric services include a robust geriatric consult service. Additionally, fellows have the opportunity to rotate with Dr. Kathryn Agarwal, an expert in geriatric quality improvement, to experience how culture changes are implemented to ensure age-friendly care across a large hospital system.
In addition to the varied clinical experience, fellows participate in a robust curriculum supported by the exceptional academic resources of the Texas Medical Center and receive personalized mentoring from geriatrics faculty. Fellows are encouraged to pursue a second year of training in one of our advanced fellowship tracks, including an ACGME-accredited palliative care fellowship, wound care, medical education and quality improvement.