There is an excellent op-ed in the Boston Globe from Dr. Lewis Lipsitz that in clear yet eloquent language makes the case for training of more Geriatricians, and the survival of Geriatrics as a specialty. Dr. Lipsitz is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and chief of Gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. One of the nice things that were articulated in this op-ed is that one of the most of the important roles of the Geriatrician is to listen. While many older patients have a whole bunch of specialists, it is the role of the Geriatrician to put everything together, listening to the patient and caregiver at great length. There was one rather stunning statistic in the op-ed. In 2007 only 91 new Geriatricians were trainied in the US. As the need for Geriatrics is increasing, the number seeking training is falling. Dr. Lipsitz notes a major problem recruiting Geriatricians is the poor compensation compared to other medical specialties. The key skills taught in Geriatr