Impact of a Curriculum Reform in Graduate Students Self-Reported Palliative Care Competencies

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Quality palliative care (PC) training for health professionals is crucial for patient access.
• Limited evidence exists on the impact of undergraduate medical curriculum changes in PC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of expanded undergraduate PC training on medical students.
• To compare self-perceived competencies, knowledge, and training adequacy between cohorts before and after a curriculum reform.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of recently graduated medical students from two cohorts.
• Electronic survey assessing perception of PC training, self-assessed core competencies, and knowledge.
• Comparison between students with limited and extended PC curriculum exposure.

Main Results:

• Students with extended PC training reported more sufficient theoretical and practical content.
• Higher PC knowledge assessment scores were observed in the extended training group.
• Significantly improved skills in delivering bad news, symptom evaluation (physical, spiritual, emotional), and explaining PC were reported.

Conclusions:

• Integrating increased PC training throughout medical school enhances graduates' perception of training adequacy.
• Expanded PC education strengthens self-perceived competencies and improves knowledge in palliative care.
• Curricular reform positively impacts preparedness for palliative care delivery.