Hospice and Palliative Medicine Curriculum

Rotation Schedule Heading link

We encourage a healthy work/life balance! The schedule is very manageable. The fellowship hours are during the day only from Monday to Friday. Thursday is half day ambulatory clinic. Afternoon are allotted as dedicated time to pursue research/ education/ scholarly activities.

Call schedule is minimal, and fellows are allotted a day-off when they come in on a weekend once a month on the inpatient consult service. Besides the three-week vacation, national holidays, most weekends off, fellows enjoy traveling for conferences and attending courses.

5 months

2.5 months. Blend of community hospice and inpatient hospice – as preferred by the fellow.

3-4 week rotation at OSF HealthCare Divine Mercy Continuity Care Hospital

Takes place at Children’s Hospital of Illinois over two to four weeks.

Two months, divided as:

  1. Interventional and Chronic Pain Management: 2-week rotation.
  2. Addiction Medicine: 2-week rotation.
  3. Additional Electives: Options for electives are:
    • Oncology
    • Geri psychiatry
    • Pastoral Care and Interdisciplinary
    • Ethics
    • Cardiology/CHF
    • Neurology
    • Pulmonary & Critical Care
    • Pediatrics (with option to do additional rotation)
    • Oncology, Rad Oncology, etc.

At OSF Cancer Institute, half day each week throughout the year. Takes place at OSF Cancer Institute. Expect a half day (AM) every Thursday throughout the year.

Thursday half day (PM) every week throughout the year. Completion of scholarly activities is expected before the year-end. Mentorship is provided.

Some of the Topics Covered Heading link

Boot camp didactics in July is followed by structured weekly didactics and clinical learning topics. Jump Simulation is utilized for communication and other topics.

  • Pain Curriculum: Pathophysiology and approach to acute and chronic pain. Cancer pain syndromes. Opioids  management including use of Fentanyl, Methadone, Buprenorphine, Ketamine, etc.
  • Patient controlled analgesia, interventional pain procedures including management of pain pumps/injections etc.
  • Agitation and delirium.
  • Evidence-based Management of Palliative Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, malignant bowel obstruction, anorexia and cachexia, frailty, fatigue, dyspnea, respiratory secretions, pruritus, etc.
  • Communication Curriculum: Family Meetings; breaking bad news; goals care; advance care planning; communication in ICU settings, transition of care and care coordination, etc.
  • Performing Inpatient palliative care consultations.
  • Palliative care in Advanced Illness: Heart failure, ESRD, topics in malignant diseases, including introduction to radiotherapy, types of RT, indications for palliative RT, side effects and toxicity management, patient selection, etc.
  • Neurodegenerative Illnesses: Dementia, Parkinson, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Anoxic Brain Injury, etc.
  • Prognostication in cancer and non-malignant advanced illness
  • Care Transitions.
  • Spiritual Assessment
  • Psychologic and psychiatric illness: Anxiety, depression, PTSD, adjustment disorder, grief, bereavement, etc.
  • End of Life care and ethical issues around EOL.
  • Generative AI in prognostication including ethical considerations
  • Personalized care planning for chronic or long term health conditions
  • Cultural Competencies in Palliative Care
  • Resilience and self-care
  • Hospice Curriculum: including hospice eligibility, regulations,
  • Withdrawal of life sustaining treatment: Artificial nutrition, hydration, palliative extubation from ventilator.
  • Palliative Care Emergencies.
  • Palliative Sedation.
  • Addiction Medicine Curriculum
  • Interpersonal communication and feedback strategies: for building positive relationships, fostering a growth mindset, reducing defensiveness, managing conflicts, and understanding the difference between defensive and supportive communication

Additional Curriculum Features Heading link

  • Journal Club: (October to June)
  • Workshops: Self-compassion, and other topics.
  • National Conference(s) AAHPM, CAPC, UICOMP Research day, etc.
  • Interdisciplinary Team Meetings: IDT management of difficult situations
  • Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, and other lectures.
  • Quality and Safety OSF and UIC syllabus and opportunities for QAPI
  • Telemedicine practice and procedures
  • Educational Opportunities: Fellows are facilitated to educate medical students and residents on
    service and participate in lectures for other services.
  • Jump Simulation