- Page navigation anchor for RE: Medical Student Perspective in Palliative Care Teaching In Medical SchoolRE: Medical Student Perspective in Palliative Care Teaching In Medical School
Dear Editor,
I read with great interest the study by B.Gagnon et al. titled ‘Palliative care clinical rotations among undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainees in Canada: a descriptive study (1). I am a final year medical student at Kings College London and have had limited exposure to palliative care until my last clinical rotation.
Palliative care within our curriculum is not developed extensively like other specialities such as General Practice and Psychiatry, whereby we have one-year longitudinal placements. This is daunting because, in the United Kingdom with an ageing population, the rate of chronic illness would to increase (2). As a result, further patients might be on end-of-life care, because of their illness being incurable. The next generation of doctors may have increased patient numbers with medical problems whereby the input of a palliative care consultant is required to ensure patient safety. Being able to prepare for such an event would enable the health system to be sustainable, whereby the right services would be available for patients.
Within our curriculum, I was fortunate enough to have a one-week placement in a palliative care setting. This was helpful as well as eye-opening. It taught me why patients require palliative care and taught me it is not only cancer patients who require this level of care, which was an assumption I had made before my placement. It taught me how tough conversations with family and patients are c...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.References
- Bruno Gagnon, Anne Boyle, Fabienne Jolicoeur, et al. Palliative care clinical rotations among undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainees in Canada: a descriptive study. CMAJO 2020;8:E257-E263.
- Hajat C, Stein E. The global burden of multiple chronic conditions: A narrative review. Prev Med Rep. 2018;12:284-293. Published 2018 Oct 19. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.008
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