Introduction The proposed research is an examination of resident experiences and preparedness in providing psychiatric care to geriatric patients in an adult outpatient clinic setting. During the SARS COV-2 pandemic, psychiatry residents were called upon to help older patients cope with increased social isolation, loss of loved ones, and fears about their own safety. The goal of the study is to assess the educational needs of residents in caring for this population, to provide a brief educational intervention targeting relevant clinical skills and knowledge, and to evaluate resident attitudes and feelings of competence before and after the intervention. The geriatric population presents with distinct clinical challenges and needs when it comes to psychiatric management. Although this population might be best served by subspecialty services, there is a relative shortage of geriatric psychiatrists, and most older psychiatric patients receive care from general psychiatrists or primary care physicians. While one month of training in geriatric psychiatry is a requirement of ACGME-accredited psychiatry residency programs, there is very little research examining general psychiatry residents’ perceptions of their ability to address the specific needs and psychosocial challenges of this population. Minimal research exists that examines the geriatric curricula in adult psychiatry residency programs. Furthermore, there is no research that addresses psychiatry resident competence in managing key psychosocial factors affecting geriatric psychiatric patients, including social isolation, loneliness, and bereavement. Experiences of loneliness and loss are fundamental lifecycle concerns, with social isolation being a particular issue among aging urban populations (1). The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated issues of social isolation and bereavement among geriatric patients, bringing attention to their role as key social determinants of physical and mental health (2). The psychological impact of the pandemic on older adults is an area of active study. However, little attention has been paid to how psychiatric trainees are engaging with these issues in their care of older patients. Methods Study participants were drawn from all four class years of the psychiatry residency program at LAC+USC Medical Center between March and June of 2021. Participants completed a 15-question survey to evaluate their subjective feelings of preparedness and competency in caring for elderly patients. The survey also evaluated residents’ perspectives about the relative importance of addressing different psychosocial issues when caring for elderly patients. Results A total of 34 respondents across four levels of training completed the pre-intervention survey. Among first- and second-year residents, 84% did not feel prepared to address issues of loneliness and 76% did not feel prepared to address issues of grief in older patients. Among third- and fourth-year residents, 31% of respondents did not feel prepared to address either of these two issues, despite having completed a 1-month geriatric psychiatry rotation. Very few senior residents felt “very well prepared” to address issues of grief or loneliness in their patients (13% and 6% respectively), with the majority feeling “somewhat prepared.” Respondents across all four class years indicated a strong level of interest in additional training in the management of grief and social isolation/loneliness. Conclusions The results of the survey suggest that although, self-perceived competence in the management of geriatric psychosocial issues increases over the course of training, many residents do not feel adequately prepared to meet certain needs in the geriatric population. These results will be used to create an educational intervention. The educational intervention will be provided to the current 3rd year class as part of the outpatient didactic curriculum. A post-intervention survey will be used to assess residents’ feelings of preparedness and comfort in providing care for elderly patients and to evaluate the perceived value of the educational intervention. A final survey will be given to the 3rd year class at the end of the 2022 academic year and will be compared to the survey results of the 2022 and 2021 graduating classes. Study data will be primarily qualitative, with a limited amount of quantitative date derived from pre- and post-intervention surveys. A paired t-test will be used to compare the results of the pre- and post-intervention surveys. Citations: 1.Courtin, E., & Knapp, M. (2017). Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age: a scoping review. Health & social care in the community, 25(3), 799-812. 2.Smith, M. L., Steinman, L. E., & Casey, E. A. (2020). Combatting social isolation among older adults in a time of physical distancing: the COVID-19 social connectivity paradox. Frontiers in public health, 8, 403. This research was funded by None The proposed research is an examination of resident experiences and preparedness in providing psychiatric care to geriatric patients in an adult outpatient clinic setting. During the SARS COV-2 pandemic, psychiatry residents were called upon to help older patients cope with increased social isolation, loss of loved ones, and fears about their own safety. The goal of the study is to assess the educational needs of residents in caring for this population, to provide a brief educational intervention targeting relevant clinical skills and knowledge, and to evaluate resident attitudes and feelings of competence before and after the intervention. The geriatric population presents with distinct clinical challenges and needs when it comes to psychiatric management. Although this population might be best served by subspecialty services, there is a relative shortage of geriatric psychiatrists, and most older psychiatric patients receive care from general psychiatrists or primary care physicians. While one month of training in geriatric psychiatry is a requirement of ACGME-accredited psychiatry residency programs, there is very little research examining general psychiatry residents’ perceptions of their ability to address the specific needs and psychosocial challenges of this population. Minimal research exists that examines the geriatric curricula in adult psychiatry residency programs. Furthermore, there is no research that addresses psychiatry resident competence in managing key psychosocial factors affecting geriatric psychiatric patients, including social isolation, loneliness, and bereavement. Experiences of loneliness and loss are fundamental lifecycle concerns, with social isolation being a particular issue among aging urban populations (1). The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated issues of social isolation and bereavement among geriatric patients, bringing attention to their role as key social determinants of physical and mental health (2). The psychological impact of the pandemic on older adults is an area of active study. However, little attention has been paid to how psychiatric trainees are engaging with these issues in their care of older patients. Study participants were drawn from all four class years of the psychiatry residency program at LAC+USC Medical Center between March and June of 2021. Participants completed a 15-question survey to evaluate their subjective feelings of preparedness and competency in caring for elderly patients. The survey also evaluated residents’ perspectives about the relative importance of addressing different psychosocial issues when caring for elderly patients. A total of 34 respondents across four levels of training completed the pre-intervention survey. Among first- and second-year residents, 84% did not feel prepared to address issues of loneliness and 76% did not feel prepared to address issues of grief in older patients. Among third- and fourth-year residents, 31% of respondents did not feel prepared to address either of these two issues, despite having completed a 1-month geriatric psychiatry rotation. Very few senior residents felt “very well prepared” to address issues of grief or loneliness in their patients (13% and 6% respectively), with the majority feeling “somewhat prepared.” Respondents across all four class years indicated a strong level of interest in additional training in the management of grief and social isolation/loneliness. The results of the survey suggest that although, self-perceived competence in the management of geriatric psychosocial issues increases over the course of training, many residents do not feel adequately prepared to meet certain needs in the geriatric population. These results will be used to create an educational intervention. The educational intervention will be provided to the current 3rd year class as part of the outpatient didactic curriculum. A post-intervention survey will be used to assess residents’ feelings of preparedness and comfort in providing care for elderly patients and to evaluate the perceived value of the educational intervention. A final survey will be given to the 3rd year class at the end of the 2022 academic year and will be compared to the survey results of the 2022 and 2021 graduating classes. Study data will be primarily qualitative, with a limited amount of quantitative date derived from pre- and post-intervention surveys. A paired t-test will be used to compare the results of the pre- and post-intervention surveys.