Our Curriculum

The year begins with an intensive summer lecture series that provides a solid foundation in symptom management, palliative care consultation, care of the imminently dying patient, fundamental communication, and interdisciplinary teamwork.

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Beginning in September, didactics occur Friday afternoons and continue to build on the summer core curriculum. Fellows also participate in a communication curriculum, emphasizing a cognitive approach to communication and taught with demonstrations and interactive role-play.  

 

Fellows also participate in a variety of academic activities, including designing a QI project, leading a journal club, creating a small group teaching session, and finally presenting at the Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine Grand Rounds. 

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Year-long educational opportunities include weekly palliative care grand rounds and site-specific sessions such as pain rounds, psychosocial oncology grand rounds, and research Works-in-Progress.

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These activities are augmented by five fellowship retreats:

• Health Equity: A day-long retreat during orientation to consider health care disparities in palliative care and lay the foundation of skills to address it

• Art and Medicine: A half-day summer retreat at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston or the Harvard Art Museum to hone our observation and reflection skills

• Teaching Lollapalooza: A day-long autumn retreat to reflect on our role as educators and learn skills for teaching and learning

• Sustainability and Resilience: A day-long winter retreat to develop a deeper understanding of our personal strengths and to learn techniques to maximize resilience

• Leadership Retreat: A day-long spring retreat to define our own leadership styles and develop leadership skills