About us

The 20th century saw the birth of geriatrics in the United Kingdom, and it spread to other countries. Countries both around the Commonwealth and outside it. Between these last ones was Spain, which in the mid-50s began to develop, shyly, some geriatric structure, training courses and care activity, with little impact and development. Following the publication of the Medical Specialties Rule in 1978, where geriatrics is recognized as one of the medical specialties and whose regulated training is established on an equal basis with the rest of the specialties through the system of Resident Internal Physicians (MIR), geriatrics begins to experience quantitative and, even more importantly, qualitative growth due to the progressive presence of specialists with established training, subject to rigor and control criteria similar to those of other specialties, led by accredited services and which is accessed through a national test.

The perception among several of the new specialists of lacking a Scientific Society of geriatric medicine, in which the scientific, teaching and educational aspects care organization can be considered and discussed autonomously starts to arise. With the contribution of other experts, especially from the academia, with special dedication to the area of aging, an area that also had experienced notable development in Spain in the previous decades, with the appearance of prominent research groups in several places in Spain. In this context and with this aim, the Spanish Society of Geriatric Medicine (SEMEG) was born in the year 2000. The principles that inspired its creation were included in its Statutes, which corroborate the need perceived by that group of geriatricians of having an institution that, as an instrumental tool, allows them to encourage, discuss and promote advances in the area of geriatric medicine, contribute to its innovation and participate in continued training of the professionals.

Furthermore, the constitution of the SEMEG opened the opportunity to be part of the many channels of legal participation constituted and to which the legislation gave way: from the National Commission of the Specialty to its presence as a full member of both national (the Spanish Federation of Specialties) and international organizations, including the European society EuGMS and the IAGG. Several members of SEMEG have occupied relevant positions in some of those international institutions, collaborating with working groups in the WHO or leading EU research projects. The road has not been easy, but it has undoubtedly been crowned with success.

The Society enjoys in this moment of remarkable freshness, typical of his youth, but also entering a stage of maturity that predicts success for all those who make it up and participate in its activities. Successes that will undoubtedly result in the best performance of the Spanish geriatric medicine and for the greatest benefit of its final recipients: the older people.