Palliative Medicine

Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties

  • Course Information

    Course Number: RMDN616

    Prerequisites: Completion of the Internal Medicine or Family Medicine clerkship

    Length of Time: 2 weeks

    Phase Availability: Phase 2 and Phase 3

    Credit Type: Physician Assessed Patient Facing (PAPFE) or Open

    Call: No

  • Contact Information

    Program Director: Jon Monkemeyer, MD

    Coordinator/Scheduling: Allison King (aking75@uic.edu)

    Location: Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital (8201 E Riverside Blvd, Rockford, IL 61114)

Narrative Description: Students will see patients with a physician in the hospital for consultation services. They will have a half-day per week supporting the oncology clinic, if possible. They will have a half-day per week in hospice or palliative care IDT. Students will shadow the physician, nurse practitioner, hospice nurse, hospital social worker, hospice chaplain, and palliative care pharmacist to understand team roles and responsibilities

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understanding the differences between Medicare hospice benefit and palliative care services;
  2. Evaluation, assessment and management of pain and other symptoms in patients with advanced illness/diseases;
  3. Communicating and breaking bad news with patients and their families;
  4. Review SPIKES & ADAPT protocols; and
  5. To understand the basic social, financial and cultural challenges faced by palliative care and hospice physicians; and understand the importance of advance directives, etc.

Learning Activities:

  1. By completion of rotation, the student will be able to learn how to care appropriately for the patients with advanced illness diseases;
  2. The student will be able to assess and evaluate different symptoms in terminally ill patients;
  3. The student will have a better understanding of the pharmacological options and their implications while managing at this difficult phase of the patient’s life; and
  4. In addition, the student will understand the different ways to communicate and deliver bad news to patients and their families.

Method of Assessment: Direct faculty evaluation of performance and standard UIC evaluation form completed and submitted.

Required Reading: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande.

Additional Resources:

Access to CAPC (Center for Advance Palliative Care) online modules. Miscellaneous articles and video assignments, including Extremis.

Miscellaneous Information: None