Providing quality end-of-life care: A look at current educational trends in Canadian medical school curricula

Abstract

Most Canadian medical students are interested in learning about end-of-life care. Recent research has explored the key elements involved in providing quality care to terminally ill patients and their families. Despite these new insights, limitations surrounding the provision of end-of-life teaching in medical curricula have left many residents feeling unprepared and uncomfortable in clinical encounters with patients that are near life’s end. Various medical programs have effectively augmented their curricula to deal with this issue. We hope that Canadian medical students and educators will reassess the quality of their end-of-life care instruction.