L to R: Minjie (Jessica) Guo, MD; Mary Connolly, MD; Angela Heysel, MD; Kelley Bellia, DO; Celestine Chistensen, MD
The United States faces an unprecedented shortage of geriatricians at the very moment older adults represent the fastest-growing segment of the population. In the 2025 national match, only 145 of 388 certified geriatrics fellowship slots (~37%) were filled, one of the lowest fill-rates among medical subspecialties. Because many programs failed to fill all (or any) of their slots, the actual number of trainees entering geriatrics remains far below what is needed to replace retiring clinicians, even as the demand for expert care for older adults continues to rise.
Against this backdrop, Pitt/UPMC has reshaped how trainees discover, pursue, and advance in geriatric medicine. With new integrated training pathways, expanded scholarly options, and more intentional recruitment strategies, the institution is working to build a sustainable pipeline of geriatric clinicians and academic leaders.