An end-of-life curriculum: empowering the resident, patient, and family.
Physician training programs in undergraduate and graduate medical education strongly recommend that their trainees gain experience in helping patients and their families address end-of-life and palliative care issues with knowledge and compassion. Currently these training programs are inadequately meeting this goal. This paper describes a creative 1-day training workshop or several half-day seminars on the end of life, which are delivered as part of our family practice intern orientation. The training includes self-awareness about death, communicating bad news, guidance with paperwork and legal issues, the stages of grief, patient's perspectives on dying, hospice, and physician well-being.
Family Practice Residency Program, White Memorial Medical Center, 1720 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA. reillypas@aol.com
Jo Marie
JM
Reilly
Jeffrey
J
Ring
D003479:Curriculum; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D010166:Palliative Care; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D013727:Terminal Care; D014481:United States