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Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice

Application Deadline - January 30, 2008

April 29 - May 6, 2008 and November 11-18, 2008

Medicine and Nursing Need Leaders in Palliative Care Education

The Harvard Medical School Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice (PCEP) offers intensive learning experiences for physician and nurse-educators who wish to become expert in the clinical practice and teaching of comprehensive, interdisciplinary palliative care, as well as to gain expertise in leading and managing improvements in palliative care education and practice at their own institutions.

Program Components
Now includes a special pediatric track

The course is delivered in two sections: Part 1 consists of 7 days of intensive learning, followed by a 6-month interim where participants work on an individual project and contribute to weekly e-mail discussions of problematic clinical, educational, and program development cases presented by other participants through e-mail exchanges; and Part 2 is a second 7-day block that includes continued experiential learning, and training focused on communication, teaching methods, teamwork and leadership.

The curriculum features:

• Teaching the fundamentals of palliative care (assessment of physical causes of distress, psychosocial and spiritual assessment, ethical and cultural issues, palliative care in geriatric and pediatric populations, depression, bereavement).

• Teaching about communication at the end of life (understanding the experience of life-threatening illness, breaking bad news, communicating across cultural barriers, family meetings, providing feedback to learners).

• Managing challenges in palliative care education (principles of adult learning, understanding, learning styles, new teaching methodologies).

• Developing and promoting clinical and educational programs in palliative care (assessing institutional structure and culture, evaluating readiness to change, dealing with resistance, developing and financing palliative care programs; fund-raising strategies).

• New! Pediatric Track will highlight the unique aspects of pediatric palliative care.

Individual Projects and Faculty Mentoring

Teaching is learner-centered, and takes place in a variety of interactive formats, including small groups, large group discussions, demonstration interviews and panel discussions. Participants have the opportunity to develop action plans for change at their institutions and to practice and receive feedback about their teaching and change strategies. Many opportunities for informal interchange will be available, including a 6-month structured e-mail exchange for distance learning and consultation on difficult problems in palliative care education and practice.

The course faculty includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and educators from within the Harvard teaching hospitals, as well as outside experts.

Who Should Apply?

The Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice is designed for physician- and nurse-educators who wish to enhance their skills in clinical practice. teaching and leadership in palliative care. We will also consider applications from other allied healthcare professionals with major educational and clinical leadership roles in palliative care.

Registration Information

Tuition Fee: $5,670 (USD) * scholarship opportunities available.
Dates: April 29th - May 6th and November 11 - 18th, 2008

* PLEASE NOTE: You must attend both sessions in order to complete the course. The fee, which includes the April and November session, is $5,670. The fee is due in full by March 29th, 2008. This fee covers course materials, breakfast, lunches, and opening and closing banquets.

Once you have been accepted you will receive notification and payment instructions from Venus Watson, Program Manger.

Refund Policy

A handling fee of $200.00 is deducted for cancellation.  Refund requests must be received by mail or fax two weeks prior to the course.  No refunds will be made thereafter.

Accommodations

A small block of rooms has been reserved at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston (Cambridge) ($210 single/double for April; $239 single/double for November).  Reservations should be made directly with the hotel and only after you have received confirmation of acceptance to the program.  Please call (617) 806-4200 and identify yourself as a program participant.

Due to the intense nature of the course, we request that you keep most evenings free for preparations and program activities.

Travel

For information about reduced airfare; call the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education at (617) 384-8600, Monday – Friday, 10AM to 4PM (EST).

To view the printed brochure as a PDF file, click here.
- download PDF Reader

For a copy of the application instructions and registration form, please click here.
Deadline for Applications is January 30th, 2008. 
Only completed applications will be considered.  Please mail applications to:

Venus Watson, Program Manager
HMS Center for Palliative Care
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
44 Binney Street, SW 411
Boston, MA 02115

Questions?

Should any of the information in the course brochure or on our website
leave you with further questions, please do not hesitate to contact
the Center's Program Manager, Venus Watson. She can be reached via telephone: 617-582-7859, 9am-4pm EST or via e-mail: pallcare@partners.org
(Fax: 617-632-6180)