Note: K, S, and A, with corresponding numbers in parentheses (e.g., K1, S2, A4), refer to Weill Cornell Medical College’s Educational Objectives of the program leading to the MD degree found at http://weill.cornell.edu/education/curriculum/edu_obj.html.

By the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge:


1. K2 Explain general psychosocial and contextual factors that influence care.


2. K11 Identify the major ethical and legal issues at the end of life.


3. K8, K9 Explain general principles of pain and symptom management, including basic principles of pharmacology (e.g., opioid conversions, side effect profiles) and ethical principles about pain relief (e.g., overcoming misperceptions about addiction and dependence).


Skills:


4. S10 Apply ethical norms to patient care.


5. S4, S11 Formulate a treatment plan to relieve pain and suffering through the application of palliative care skills.


6. S1, S8 Write and organize a progress note suitable for a hospital chart.


7. S12 Communicate in an effective and humanistic manner with patients and their intimates.


8. S2, A1 Navigate the health care system in order to advocate for patient and family needs near the end of life.


Attitudes:


9. A1, A2, A3, A4, A6 Foster professionalism in the care of patients throughout the life cycle.


10. A1, A2, A4, A9, A10 Assume responsibility for the development of competence in both the humanistic and scientific dimensions of patient care.


11. A2, A3 Realize the importance of respecting cultural diversity and differing patient values.

How Learning Objectives are Assessed
Methods for assessing student achievement of course learning objectives include the following: 1) daily logs of recorded observations, ideas, and reactions regarding various content areas to which that students are exposed (e.g., reading materials, topics dealt with in class sessions, and ethical issues clinically apparent during rounds); 2) presentation and write-up on an assigned patient on a pain and palliative care service, focusing on medical history and physical (including psychosocial and narrative issues), current palliative care issues, diagnostic strategies to evaluate pain and other complaints, which includes an in-depth discussion of treatment strategies used to address symptoms; 3) demonstration of cultivation of observational and analytical skills necessary for critical observation in small group sessions; and (4) an essay on end-of-life care and the law that includes relevant sources that support student’s position. Please refer to the course syllabus for more specific details on grading.