2W: Introduction to Palliative Care

School of Medicine

Students will rotate through Vanderbilt Medical Center under the supervision of palliative care specialists. Students will work with the entire multidisciplinary team during this rotation with the goals of learning to apply the fundamentals in pain and symptom management, communication at the end of life, care of the dying patient, and basics of hospice care. Students will rotate on the consultative services and the palliative care unit during the two-week block. Students will gain exposure to patients throughout the hospital from all disciplines of medicine assisting in symptom management, advanced care planning, and hospice. The medical director for palliative care at Vanderbilt University will supervise and evaluate the students on the basis of the six clinical core competencies as delineated by the ACGME. Creative structuring will allow students to make modifications to the rotation to meet individual needs. At the conclusion of the elective, students will be able to gather data as it relates to palliative care; demonstrate use of an interdisciplinary team to optimize patient care; evaluate and manage common symptoms in palliative care; identify goals of care through communication with families and patients in order to develop a plan of care that includes the patient's wishes, medical situation, and code status; recognize signs and symptoms of impending death; and identify different aspects of suffering in palliative care patients.