The branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability in later life. The term can be distinguished from gerontology, which is the study of the aging process itself. The term comes from the Greek “geros” meaning “old man” and “iatros” meaning “healer.” In the USA, geriatricians are primary care physicians who are board-certified in either Family Practice or Internal Medicine and have also acquired the additional training necessary to obtain the Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Geriatric Medicine.