Communication and Symptom Management in Death, Dying & Serious Illness

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Department
Medicine
Course Number
MED 348
Course Title Communication and Symptom Management in Death, Dying & Serious Illness
Course Director
Christina Prather, MD
Length (Weeks)

2
When Offered

Weeks 10-11
Prerequisites

Core clerkships; see notes below
Availability Notes

Pre-requisites: Completion of pre-clinical curriculum and completion of core clerkships including internal medicine, primary care, surgery, pediatrics, OB-GYN, and psychiatry. Limited exceptions may be made. Students requesting exceptions are welcome to email the course director directly.
Contact Name
Dr. Prather
Contact Phone
Contact Fax
Contact Email
cprather@mfa.gwu.edu
Other Contacts
Location

2 week blended learning model comprised of synchronous didactics, online modules, group discussion, role play, drills, and standardized patients.
Limit
10-15
Report
Evaluation

Grading: Pass/Fail. Students must complete the following to receive a grade of “pass:”

  1. Complete 100% of assigned modules – submit completion certificates
  2. Complete advance care planning assignment
  3. Complete presentation at end of elective, focus on a topic of interest to the student (per rubric)
  4. Participate in skills development sessions (ie: role play and standardized patients) (per rubric)
  5. Participate in group discussions (per rubric)
  6. Attend all synchronous teaching sessions, absences must be discussed with the course director in advance if possible, and additional assignments may be required
  7. Complete end of elective reflection paper (per rubric)
  8. Demonstrate SMHS expected level of professionalism & teamwork
Description

Course Description: During this elective, students will participate in a two-week course designed to enhance communication skills and symptom management in death, dying, and serious illness. Students will practice communication skills for advance care planning, goals-of-care discussions, and delivering bad news, including news of death. Students will also develop skills to manage symptoms at end of life including pain, anxiety, and dyspnea as well as gain familiarity with the dying process. These tasks will be accomplished through online modules, synchronous and recorded didactics, discussion, role-play, presentation, and reflection. Students will be asked to reflect on their own experience with death and dying and serious illness in small groups as well as write a reflection. Participation is essential.

Target Students: Late 3rd year or 4th year medical students seeking to improve their communication skills in serious illness and death and dying as well as the ability to manage symptoms at end of life. This course is designed for students pursuing most fields of medicine, including but not limited to internal medicine, family medicine, neurology, surgery and surgical subspecialties, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and psychiatry. 

Pre-requisites: Completion of pre-clinical curriculum and completion of core clerkships including internal medicine, primary care, surgery, pediatrics, OB-GYN, and psychiatry. Limited exceptions may be made. Students requesting exceptions are welcome to email the course director directly.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Identify and practice core components of delivering serious news including death and impending death.
  2. Identify and practice skills to conduct goals of care discussions in serious illness.
  3. Identify and practice using advance directives and medical orders to communicate care preferences in the community and acute care settings (ex. advance directive, MOLST forms) at point of care and for care transitions.
  4. Demonstrate basic knowledge of serious and critical illness symptomatology, including in the dying process and describe strategies for management.
  5. Use reflection on personal and cultural experiences with death to discuss their impact on caring for patients.
Additional Notes