Medical care in nursing homes is not provided by board-licensed geriatricians; it mainly comes from physicians in need of educational programs in the field of geriatrics. Such programs, based on curriculum guidelines, should be developed. The purpose of this study was to seek input from nursing home physicians on their perceived needs for training in geriatrics. A mail questionnaire survey was sent to nursing home physicians regarding their opinion on the most needed subjects and preferred training methods. Of the 210 surveys mailed, 132 (63%) were returned. More than a quarter of the respondents had not had any kind of geriatric medical education. A desire for geriatric training was evident, preferably in the form of courses and periodic seminars. Use of medications, infectious diseases, depression, dementia and cardiac disorders were the most important topics indicated by the respondents. These data can be of help in preparing the curriculum for a continuous medical education program in geriatrics, preferably in the form of courses and periodic seminars. (Contains 2 tables.)