The impact of a medical undergraduate student-selected module in palliative care

Abstract

The module was a popular choice with students, was well received, and appears to have had a significant educational impact in terms of changing students' attitudes and perceived knowledge and skills in palliative care.

Radiation Therapy Students′ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Cancer Patients

“…This is consistent with research across other disciplines [4,5,13,20]. PEOLC curricula can provide students with knowledge; however, a deeper understanding of the full scope of PEOLC is necessary and can be achieved by more structured educational initiatives and experiential training.…”

“…(R32). Sweeney et al [20] developed a module for undergraduate medical students, which increased knowledge regarding palliative care principles. Similarly, a study by Morrison et al [30] demonstrated that knowledge and attitudes improved and then remained stable over time with a palliative care curricula comprising workshops, facilitated small group discussions, and practical experiences with patients.…”

“…The lack of formal inclusion of PEOLC concepts in curricula at the undergraduate level has been well documented for other professions, resulting in a negative impact on effective skill development [6,13,17,19,20]. This suggests that the inclusion of PEOLC concepts within the radiation therapy undergraduate curricula may better prepare students to provide high-quality care on entering the workforce and begin to contribute to improving patients' overall quality of life through improved ability and willingness of the HCP to engage in PEOLC [6,12,17,[20][21][22]. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine radiation therapy students' existing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward PEOLC and how professional and personal experiences influenced those factors.…”

Use of high-fidelity simulation to improve communication skills regarding death and dying: a qualitative study

“…However, there is evidence to suggest that learning from these scenarios is limited by the presence of peers and by artificial classroom environments 10 11. This is reflected in the continued lack of confidence among junior doctors in this area, despite the widespread adoption of role-play based training methods in medical education 12 13…”

Evaluation of the educational impact of a special study module on maritime medicine for medical undergraduate students

“…Special study modules challenge the traditional style of teaching and encourage more student-centred learning. They present students with the opportunity to go beyond the core curriculum by studying areas of specific interest to them in greater depth [8]. Another key role of special study modules is to encourage self-directed learning by developing the attitudes and skills necessary for the future lifelong learning.…”