Medicine
Topics in Palliative Medicine
MEDC 30604 | 50 Units
- Elective Type: Clinical
- Primary Instructor: Dr. Michael Marschke
- Contact: | |
- Location on first day: W717
- Included in Lottery: NO
- Last Reviewed: February 5, 2008
Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to palliative care through seminars and clinical experiences. Students will attend weekly seminars in which a variety of topics will be introduced using guest speakers, fiction and poetry, film, case studies and lecture. Topics including: defining a "good death," medications for symptom management, spirituality, the role of culture, and uses of alternative medicine in palliative care. In addition, students will participate in direct patient care by spending 4-5 afternoons working with members of the palliative care team visiting in patients' homes, nursing homes, or rounding in the hospital. Finally, weekly seminars will include opportunities for reflective journaling and debriefing about experiences during the course.
Objectives
At the end of the elective, students will be able to: 1) define palliative care 2) recognize symptoms and stages at the end of life and identify possible treatments, 3) be senstive to spiritual and cultural issues related to death, 4) explain the contents of advance directives, physician assisted suicide, and decision making capacity, 5) describe the basics of breaking bad news. .
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on course attendance, participation in seminar discussion and clinical experiences, and completion of assigned reading or journaling exercises.
Offered:
- Spring
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | |||||||
| PM | 2:00 - 4:00 |
Schedule Notes
First day of class: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
2-hour seminars meet once a week. Students will also spend 4 hours every other week on a clinical encounter (hospital, nursing home, or home visit) that will be scheduled on the student and clinician's schedule.
Course Limitations and Prerequisites
Maximum Students Enrolled: 10
- Eligibility:
- First year
- Visiting Students
- Prerequisites:
- None