Jump to comment:

• Response to: Does palliative care education matter to medical students? The experience of attending an undergraduate course in palliative care.
  Ratnam Gandhi, Niam Arora
  Published on: 19 August 2019

• Published on: 19 August 2019

  Response to: Does palliative care education matter to medical students? The experience of attending an undergraduate course in palliative care.

  • Ratnam Gandhi, Medical Student College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham
  • Other Contributors:
    • Niam Arora, Medical Student

  Dear Editor,

  We read with great interest the article by Centeno et al (2016) with regards to medical students’ experience of palliative care. [1] As medical students, who have recently experienced compulsory palliative care teaching during our 4th year, we wished to offer an insight into our experiences on its importance within the curriculum.

  During pre-clinical years, there was a lack of emphasis on the holistic perspective of dying patients. The early attention on basic sciences can create the notion that medicine is oriented around ‘fixing people’, with little significance placed on the experience of dying. In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) provides guidelines for doctors on the ‘Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making’. [2] Hence, a palliative care course is imperative, as it prepares medical students for one of the fundamental parts of medicine: respecting and nurturing the process of dying.

  As part of our curriculum we have numerous palliative care days throughout the year. They involved visiting a hospice and speaking to patients, their families and staff, both individually, as well as in small groups. Throughout these days there are numerous activities that aid us to challenge and consider the process of dying. These involved reflective practices to allow students to consider their feelings if they were losing the most valued aspects of their life, as well as talks from family members about th...

  Show More

  Dear Editor,

  We read with great interest the article by Centeno et al (2016) with regards to medical students’ experience of palliative care. [1] As medical students, who have recently experienced compulsory palliative care teaching during our 4th year, we wished to offer an insight into our experiences on its importance within the curriculum.

  During pre-clinical years, there was a lack of emphasis on the holistic perspective of dying patients. The early attention on basic sciences can create the notion that medicine is oriented around ‘fixing people’, with little significance placed on the experience of dying. In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) provides guidelines for doctors on the ‘Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making’. [2] Hence, a palliative care course is imperative, as it prepares medical students for one of the fundamental parts of medicine: respecting and nurturing the process of dying.

  As part of our curriculum we have numerous palliative care days throughout the year. They involved visiting a hospice and speaking to patients, their families and staff, both individually, as well as in small groups. Throughout these days there are numerous activities that aid us to challenge and consider the process of dying. These involved reflective practices to allow students to consider their feelings if they were losing the most valued aspects of their life, as well as talks from family members about their experience of losing loved ones.

  The hospice environment and nature of the feedback, discussion and reflection with the tutor can largely influence the outcome of the experience. Thus, the spectrum of experiences amongst students differs depending on these factors, yet we feel that the value of the exposure in a clinical setting cannot be undermined.

  The success of the structure and organisation of palliative care teaching within University of Birmingham can be observed as multiple students embark on further experience within palliative care as part of the medical elective and selected career experience modules.

  Moreover, the variety of environments within which palliative care occurs is far greater than most medical students assume. We have witnessed the roles of palliative care within primary care, acute medicine and hospice settings. However, we felt that the experience within a hospice, has a far greater impact on our education of palliative medicine. This could be attributed to the unified understanding of the holistic nature of palliative care within hospices that is not always explicitly evident in other medical settings.

  In conclusion, we thank Centeno et al. for their work, and support the recommendation that a palliative care course should be a core component for all undergraduate students. The execution of this teaching is vital in successfully dispelling misconceptions of dying and harnessing our approach to ensure patients are holistically cared for in their final stages of life.

  References:
  1. Centeno C, Ballesteros M, Carrasco JM, Arantzamendi M. Does palliative care education matter to medical students? The experience of attending an undergraduate course in palliative care. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2016 Mar;6(1):128-34
  2. General Medical Council. Treatment and care towards the end of life: good practice in decision making. Available from: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/treatment-and-care-towards-the-... [Accessed 2019 Aug 12].

  Show Less

  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

  • Back to top