Mi Casa o Su Casa? Assessing function and values in the home.

Clinical instruction for medical students traditionally occurs in hospitals and offices, whereas patients and families face many health issues in their homes. This is particularly true for frail older adults, those with chronic illness, and patients at the end of life. The authors sought to incorporate geriatrics, primary care, and palliative care into house calls for medical students by integrating a home visit experience into their ambulatory clerkship.

An integrated biopsychosocial approach to palliative care training of medical students.

In 1996 the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, began a major curricular reform called the Double Helix Curriculum, integrating basic science and clinical training over 4 years of medical school. This transition provided a unique opportunity to develop and implement a fully integrated, comprehensive palliative care curriculum. In this three-part paper, we will describe: (1) our process of finding curricular time, setting priorities, and deciding on pedagogical strategies; (2) an overview of how palliative care teaching was integrated into the general curriculum, including examples of different teaching opportunities; and (3) our evaluation process, and some ongoing challenges.