ACE: Palliative Care

School of Medicine

Students will rotate through VUMC and the VA Hospital under the supervision of palliative care specialists. Students will follow their own patients and work with an interdisciplinary team (IDT). This opportunity will allow students to learn and apply the fundamentals in pain and symptom management, how to communicate at the end of life, care of the dying patient, and hospice criteria. Students will spend roughly two weeks with the VUMC consult service, one week at the VUMC Palliative Care Unit, and one week at the VA. They will also work several days with community hospice members, child life specialists, chaplains, case managers, social workers, and nurses. At VUMC and the VA Hospital, students will work with the inpatient consultative team and see patients throughout the hospital from all disciplines of medicine assisting in symptom management, advanced care planning, and hospice information. During their time with hospice, they will accompany members of the IDT on home visits and learn more about their various roles in end of life care. The palliative care physicians and nurse practitioners 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. VA system access is required. Students cannot take this course if they have not received VA access at least 2 weeks before the course starts.