McGill.CA / Palliative Care McGill / Education and Training

Undergraduate Medical Education

 

 

Image by Photo by Patrick Boghossian.

In keeping with the new curriculum, our undergraduate medical education program has recently undergone many changes.
 
In the first 18 months of their program, considered to be Fundamentals of Medicine & Dentistry (FMD) in the new curriculum, students are exposed to patients' experiences of palliative care through a small group conversation with a palliative care patient (led by a palliative care physician).  
 
Here are some testimonials from the students:
 
"Extremely useful! Very enlightening, introspective experience that puts together the role of the physician as a professional, healer, and human. Allows us to put things into perspective. A good way for retention on things apart from the theory and physical stuff to get one to see the emotional/human side of being a physician".
 
"This was an incredible, worthwhile experience from the perspective of a student.  From beginning to end, the visit provided an experience that I will not forget".
 
"The session was really surprising.  It was my first contact with palliative care and I was astonished to see the type of care brought to family and patients".
 
"This was an amazing experience where we got to see and "live" a profound experience of a terminally ill patient in a good, direct and touching way, a necessary experience for a future physician and human being".
 
The following lectures are also offered during FMD:
 
Block: Palliative Care Lecture:
A: Molecules to Global Health Aging and End of Life Care:  Global Health Issue
B: Respiration End-of-Life Care for the Pulmonary Patient
C: Circulation End-of-Life Care for the Cardiac Patient
F: Defence Palliative Care & Melanoma (lecture/case conference)
G: Infection Mouth & Dental Issues
J: Human Behaviour Lessons Learned in Palliative Care:  Interprofessional

Palliative Care has been incorporated into Physicianship and, as such, we are responsible for producing scenarios on History Taking and Compassionate Communication as well as a lecture and scenarios on Communication and Breaking Bad News.

Transition to clinical practice (TCP) starts in month 19 of medical school. Palliative Care is responsible for giving 3 lectures during this six-month period.  Under Comprehensive Health, we give lectures on "Last Days of Life", "Impact of Cancer on Families" and "Caring for Dying Patients at Home".

Core Clerkship  consumes all of Year 3 of med school. During this time, we give lectures on "Palliative Care Emergencies" and "Cancer Pain Management".  We also have a full Palliative Care Recall Day focusing on how and why clinical sciences and the interdisciplinary team-based approach to care intersect in palliative care.

Third-year and fourth-year students are strongly encouraged to pursue a clinical clerkship rotation in palliative care.  Students wishing to complete a rotation at one of these sites should consult the Electives Program.  

Palliative Care McGill is honored to offer the Winifred Ross Award in Palliative Care, award annually to one third-year and one fourth-year student.  For application details, please click here.

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