Assessment in Palliative Medicine

Poster Exhibit, Professional Schools
Palliative medicine is a highly complex field aimed to prevent and relieve suffering, and improve the quality of life for people with serious, progressive, and terminal illness and their families. Palliative medicine requires integrating medical knowledge, attitudes, clinical and communication skills, personal insight, reflective ability, self awareness, and narrative competence. For this reason, teaching, learning, and assessing learners in palliative medicine is also complex. At JABSOM, fourth year medical students complete a four week long mandatory rotation in geriatric and palliative medicine. The rotation combines small group interactive sessions in the classroom with clinical experiences in a variety of settings. Common challenges for learners include overcoming negative attitudes regarding serious illness and death and integrating psychological and social issues to the practice of medicine. We present a series of templates developed to aid ongoing assessment, evaluation, and support of the learners during the rotation.

Palliative medicine is a highly complex field aimed to prevent and relieve suffering, and improve the quality of life for people with serious, progressive, and terminal illness and their families.

Palliative medicine requires integrating medical knowledge, attitudes, clinical and communication skills, personal insight, reflective ability, self awareness, and narrative competence.  For this reason, teaching, learning, and assessing learners in palliative medicine is also complex.

At JABSOM, fourth year medical students complete a four week long mandatory rotation in geriatric and palliative medicine. The rotation combines small group interactive sessions in the classroom with clinical experiences in a variety of settings.

Common challenges for learners include overcoming negative attitudes regarding serious illness and death and integrating psychological and social issues to the practice of medicine.

We present a series of templates developed to aid ongoing assessment, evaluation, and support of the learners during the rotation. By Emese Somogyi-Zalud, Diane A. Faran, Christina L. Bell, and Kamal H. Masaki

View Poster

Recommended Citation:
Somogyi-Zalud, E., Faran, D., Bell, C., Masaki, K. (2008, November). Assessment in Palliative Medicine. Poster session presented at the Assessment for Curricular Improvement Poster Exhibit at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI.