How successful is teaching on terminal care?

Teaching on terminal care in the Dundee University Medical School is being evaluated over the next 4 years (1985-89). The paper describes the present course and the intended procedures of evaluation. A pilot evaluation was conducted on a class of fourth-year students during the academic year 1984-85. Students' recall of factual information presented 2 years and also 2 terms prior to the pilot evaluation was acceptable although questions relating to pain relief were not well answered. When asked to rate ten areas of medical management from most to least satisfying and worrying, the majority of students saw both the care of the terminally ill and speaking with those about to face bereavement as relatively high on worry and low on satisfaction. The overall results of the pilot study challenged teachers to consider the cost-effectiveness of their chosen methods of teaching on terminal care.