Primary Palliative Care

Primary Palliative Care

Diversification = R1 Family Medicine

1 - 2 weeks

University of Alberta Students:  Nicole Stubbs fmunder@ualberta.ca

Preceptor: Dr Taurian Guinand TaurianG@pilgrimshospice.com

Visiting Canadian Medical Students: visitingelectives@ualberta.ca

The Roozen Family Hospice Centre is a warm and family-friendly, end-of-life residence with 12 comfortable suites for individuals (residents) in the final stages of life who do not require acute medical care.  The Centre provides programming that helps support both the resident and their loved ones, from diagnosis through to loss and bereavement.  Students will be able to contribute heavily to the medical management of the residents, be involved in programs run by allied health professionals and participate in home visits for patients that have not yet qualified for hospice.

In addition to inpatient hospice care, Pilgrims Hospice Society provides longitudinal home visiting services for rostered primary palliative care patients.  This is a multidisciplinary team including physicians, nursing and social work who collaborate closely with local home care supports to deliver qualifty end-of-life care at home.

Completing this elective should:

Learning objectives include assessing and treating pain, nausea, dyspnea, and delirium in the context of advanced and incurable disease and cancer.  Students will be expected to manage a subset of residents and to present on their progress during weekly rounds.  Participation in grief and day programs will depend on availability and timing.  For those students participating in a 2-week elective, there will be additional opportunity to be involved in home visits.  Assessing resident and family dynamics and developing communication skills are also important aspects of palliative care training.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Undergraduate medical students in Canadian institutions
• For students from 4-year programs, completion of a minimum of three years of medical school, prior to the requested date of elective
• For students from 3-year programs, completion of a minimum of two years of medical school, prior to the requested date of elective

least 3 months before the requested elective date.

• Submission of requests for elective (External Applications) at least 6 months before the requested elective date

Priority Policy: In order to utilize all available elective times, priority will be given to earlier applications.  Students are to apply as early as possible.  When more than 1 student applies at the same time for the same elective period, medical students in the University of Alberta Medicine Program will be given priority over students applying from other centres in Canada.