Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that reduces the severity of disease symptoms. Effective palliative care helps prevent and relieve suffering, and improves the quality of life of people facing serious, complex, and advanced illness. Yale School of Medicine has developed and implemented longitudinal educational activities to enhance end-of-life and palliative care training. Our focus is integration of end-of-life and palliative care education into the curriculum over the four years of medical school. We believe all medical student graduates, regardless of future specialty, should acquire basic comfort, knowledge, and skills in the care of patients with terminal illness. In our efforts, we have been successful at building collaborations within the institution and developing both inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional educational teams that include diverse clinical departments. The program provides a comprehensive approach that focuses on the physical, psycho-social, spiritual, and practical needs of patients and families.
To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always - this is our work. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it - Thou shalt treat thy patient as thou wouldst thyself be treated.
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Clerkship Director
Professor of Medicine (General Medicine); Director, Medical Student Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education; Vice Chief for Clinical Affairs for the Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine