Section: Medical System and the Elderly

Observations are drawn from field experience to explicate the role of the medical sociologist within geriatric clinical practice—a case presentation of a sociology "with" medicine. A sociology "with" medicine is presented as promoting the institutionalization of medical sociology as a special field within, yet independent of, medicine. The aim is to promote initiatives which generate and lest social theory while expanding collaboration with medical clinicians, researchers, and educators to maximize the application of social scientific data to patient care. The goals of specialized geriatric practice are then described. Next, the substantive functions and activities of the medical sociologist in a geriatric team practice are identified. Finally, the potential problems faced by medical sociologists in gaining legitimacy in clinical practice are discussed. * Author's Note: This paper was supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation/American Sociological Association Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline, and the AARP Andrus Foundation. The author would like to thank Richard M. Allman, Elizabeth Clark, William C. Cockerham, Jan Fritz, Joyce Iutcovich, Ferris J. Ritchey, William C. Yoels and the anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.