A leading medical educator at the University of Missouri calls for doctors in all specialities to be cross-trained in geriatric medicine. Doctor Steven Zweig writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the number of graduates going into geriatric practice is very small, for a variety of reasons.

He says the number of elderly, frail, and vulnerable patients is growing, and it’s important for doctors in other specialties to be exposed to treatment issues and practices. Zweig says care for older patients crosses all medical disciplines.