Core Palliative Care Skills for Medical Students
This Learning Pathway contains training in core clinical skills to help medical students understand the needs of patients living with serious illness and how palliative care can help. Topics include an introduction to the principles and practices of palliative care, communication techniques for effective conversations with patients and caregivers, and pain management. This pathway contains approximately 3.5 hours of learning activities.
Understanding Palliative Care
An introduction to palliative care, how it is delivered, its impact on quality of life, and the growing population of patients who need it.
Communicating Effectively During Serious Illness
Communicating serious clinical news to patients and families.
Strategies for eliciting patient goals and preferences to inform treatment decisions.
In this video, Kacey Boyle, RN, MSPC, leads us through an example of a goals of care conversation between a clinician and a patient.
Why clinicians must unlearn well-intentioned but ultimately harmful conventions about race and ethnicity—and strategies to move forward.
Managing Pain Safely and Effectively
Conducting a comprehensive pain assessment to guide safe and effective treatment.
Preventing Avoidable Crises
This course provides context and best practices for identifying older adults at risk for poor outcomes, including falls, delirium, and caregiving challenges.
Download a PDF of this Learning Pathway
Download PDF
