Implementation and Evaluation of High-Yield Clinical Skills Session to Improve Medical Students’ Confidence in Palliative Care Skills

ContextDespite efforts to incorporate more palliative and hospice topics into medical education, research indicates that gaps in sufficient formal education and student experience remain.ObjectivesFollowing a recent curricular redesign, the authors sought to evaluate the self-reported knowledge and confidence of our institution's fourth-year medical students regarding primary palliative care skills. Open-ended responses revealed that students desire more enhancements to palliative and hospice medical school curricula.MethodsBased on survey results, the authors developed and implemented a two-hour high-yield skills simulation session on core palliative skills. Paired pre- and post-session surveys were analyzed. ResultsPost-session, students reported significantly increased confidence in performing many primary palliative care skills, including delivering serious news, discussing code status, and explaining hospice care to patients.ConclusionWith only 2 h of student and faculty time, this simulation-based learning event offers a practical and effective approach to enhancing students' understanding and readiness to engage in palliative care practices.