Our Fellows
Tom Jacob, D.O.
Emily Justin, D.O.
Past Fellows
Adam Simning, M.D.
A native of Minnesota, Dr. Simning earned his M.D. with distinction in research and his Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He stayed on to complete his residency in general psychiatry in a research track, during which he was also an Empire State Clinical Research Investigator Program research fellow. Currently, Dr. Simning is a geriatric psychiatry fellow and instructor in psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Dr. Simning has been interested in geriatric psychiatry for nearly a decade, stating that, besides research, he enjoys working with nursing home patients and their families the most. One of his goals is to minimize the use of medications for older adults while managing their care. “When treating geriatric patients, they reflect upon all they’ve accomplished in their life,” says Dr. Simning. “They have so many valuable and meaningful lessons to share that my own life is considerably enriched by my interactions with them.”
According to Dr. Simning, the University of Rochester offers a world-renowned academic medical center, as well as an excellent geriatric psychiatry program. “Everyone is collegial and supportive and the mentoring is top-notch,” he adds. The geriatric psychiatry program also gives fellows the flexibility to gain experience and expertise in their areas of clinical or research interests. “I’d encourage any future fellows to make their interests known so they can be built into the training schedule,” says Dr. Simning. “The geriatric psychiatry faculty members will provide all the support needed to help you develop – they want you to succeed.”
After completing his fellowship training, Dr. Simning and his family plan to stay in Rochester. “There’s a need for geriatric psychiatrists in local hospitals and nursing homes,” he explains. “Plus, the area offers an affordable cost of living, excellent public schools and the quality of life is phenomenal.”
Greg Sherman, M.D.
Senior Instructor, Geriatric Psychiatry
Assistant Director of Psychiatric Clerkship
Dr. Sherman earned his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He then went on to complete his residency in psychiatry, as well as a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry, at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
“I chose geriatric psychiatry because I wanted to further develop my knowledge and love for the often complicated and rewarding treatment of geriatric patients,” says Dr. Sherman. “Throughout residency training, my understanding of the interplay between medical and psychiatric conditions across the lifecycle grew – and I found myself progressively more drawn to later stages of development. This, along with an appreciation of interdisciplinary teams – a necessity in the care of the elderly – sealed my fate as a geriatric psychiatrist.”
According to Dr. Sherman, the University of Rochester geriatric psychiatry fellowship program offers a unique opportunity for exposure to nearly every realm of geriatric psych care: inpatient, outpatient, consultation within both a community and university hospital setting, nursing home consultation and short-term, multi-system consultative evaluation in an outpatient setting. “All of these settings provide a different background and a dynamic foundation for being able to offer confident and comprehensive assessment and treatment of all geriatric mental health conditions,” explains Dr. Sherman.
The quality of geriatric care in Rochester is second to none, built on both community and university systems that take immense pride in the development and education of clinicians dedicated to this pursuit. Dr. Sherman adds that his interests include consultation/liaison practice, assessment of major neurocognitive disorders, delirium, inpatient psychiatric treatment for geriatric patients, ECT, interprofessional team development and education of the next generation of practitioners.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the quality of clinical care exposure during my fellowship. The supervision and attending investment in education of fellows at Rochester was remarkable – and each location I was placed in helped to further develop my skills,” states Dr. Sherman. “There was a nice mix of autonomy and guidance, which helped prepare me to be skilled clinician with an understanding of team, patient, family, psychopharm, neurologic and medical comorbidities.”
Currently, Dr. Sherman is a senior instructor in geriatric psychiatry at the University of Rochester, running an 11-bed inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit. He is also an attending on the Psychiatry Consultation Liaison service, as well as a primary consultant for ECT services and Assistant Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship for 3rd year medical students at the University of Rochester. In his free time, he enjoys being a dad to a toddler.