The training comprises full-time placements in approved departments and a taught course. It lasts for at least six years on a full-time basis and comprises basic training of three years and advanced training for a further three years. The placements include duty activities. The proposed placements organized by the interuniversity placement coordinators must be approved by the ministerial committee for geriatric specialization for the whole course or by the committee for internal medicine for the core subjects and subsequently the geriatrics committee for the three years of specialization. This enables specialization to be chosen at the end of the core subjects. However, the committee for geriatric specialization may approve a full plan for candidates who specialize from the outset.

Programme committee

First part

President : Martin Buysschaert
Members : L. Delaunois, A.Ferrant, A. Geubel, Ph. Hainaut, F. Houssiau, Y. Pirson, Ch. Swine, M. Symann, J.L. Vanoverschelde

Second part

President : Christian Swine
Members : P. Cornette, D. Schoevaerdts, , B. Boland, un représentant des MACCS

See the general admission requirements

Specific procedures :

First part

Special procedures :

candidates must have a degree as a Doctor or Master in medicine or a doctor from a member country of the European Union which enables them to practise in Belgium
candidates must show evidence of having been selected, at the end of the competitive selection examination, for internal medicine specialization at a Belgian faculty of medicine

Further information about the legal requirements and the practical details of the selection examination may be obtained from the office. Holders of degrees from outside the European Union may only enrol for this programme to obtain a university certificate in partial specialized training lasting two years (if they are taking a specialization in their home country) or advanced specialized training lasting one year (if they are already recognized as specialists in their country of origin.)

The Royal Decree of 30.05.2002, published on 14.06.2002 on the availability of medical studies, amended by the Royal Decree of 11.07.2005 published on 03.08.2005, applies to candidates who wish to be awarded the status of specialist in geriatrics.

Second part

Candidates must have fulfilled the requirements of the first part of the specialized studies in internal medicine and have been accepted for advanced training in geriatric specialization.

Applications should be submitted to the academic in charge of the programme. The selection examinations are held in accordance with the schedule and the general examination regulations.

All candidates who wish to become geriatric specialists, either from the outset or after the three years of basic training, will be assessed by the academic in charge of the programme as well as the selection committee and the geriatric placement supervisors.

Selection committee

First part (before the beginning of the basic training)
The selection committee is made up of members of the selection committee for the Advanced Master in Internal Medicine.

Second part (before the beginning of the advanced training)
The selection committee is made up of members of the programme committee together with two invited members from the geriatric placement supervisors in the UCL network.

Ouverture aux adultes

First part – Basic training

Three years, full-time, comprising :

theoretical teaching
seminars
supervised clinical training

The theoretical teaching in the basic training is part of the special university training course (inter-university course on internal medicine).

Second part - Advanced training

To familiarize candidates with all the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the discipline (geriatric clinical practice, geriatric syndromes, team management, psycho-geriatrics, geriatric revalidation, palliative care), with the methods of standardized geriatric evaluation, with the extent of a complete care programme for the geriatric patient (hospitalization, internal and external liaison, geriatric day hospital, geriatric consultations) and with the network of geriatric care, three years, full-time, comprising :

theoretical teaching including
- inter-university course on geriatrics organized by the Belgian Scientific Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics (Société Scientifique Belge de Gérontologie et de Gériatrie - SBGG)
- course and activities in public health with a gerontological focus (in the programme of the School of Public Health)
clinical seminars, club journal, meetings and research projects coordinated by the placement supervisors
supervised clinical training

Clinical assessments in writing on pre-established criteria are organized each semester by each candidate’s placement supervisor and each training section. Assessments for all thecandidates are examined by all the placement supervisors at six-monthly meetings.

First part
At the end of the three-year basic training, each candidate is assessed at an interview designed to test their general knowledge of internal medicine. In accordance with the Royal Decree of 16 March, candidates will receive an official certificate to show they have successfully completed a special university training course.

Second part
At the end of the three years of advanced training, each candidate is assessed on their in-depth knowledge of geriatrics, according to the following criteria :

certificate showing attendance of the inter-university course on geriatrics
production of a dissertation of between 20 and 25 pages
presentation of a paper to the Belgian Scientific Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics (Société Scientifique Belge de Gérontologie et de Gériatrie - SBGG)
or an equivalent Belgian or foreign society, or publication of an article.

When the above requirements have been fulfilled, the programme committee will award the academic degree of Advanced Master in Geriatrics. This is not a substitute for recognition by the ministerial committee. It is evidence of academic and scientific training in the context of specialized training leading to the award of professional status.

General presentation of the programme