Resident Rotation

Rotation in Palliative Medicine Birmingham VAMC Safe Harbor Project UAB Palliative Medicine Programs

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General Instructions

  1. Please come to the Safe Harbor Palliative Care Unit (BVAMC 6A) Dr. Amos Bailey’s Office to pick up your educational packet the week before your rotation begins.
  2. The packet will include instructions and a password to access PDFs of articles and other materials on the Palliative Medicine website that will be needed during the month.
  3. Review the provided schedule and calendar to ensure that your home visits do not conflict with you continuity clinic or other required activity.
  4. The packet contains a Self-Assessment of Clinical Competency and Concerns in End-of-Life Care and a simple True/False Pre-Test. Please complete each before you start your rotation.
  5. The packet also contains several other educational materials and pamphlets that will be used during the rotation. A binder may be useful to organize these materials.
  6. At the conclusion of the rotation there will be a simple Post-Test and Self-Assessment to complete.

Clinical

  1. Each resident will be assigned to a 2-week palliative care clinical experience during the month rotation.
  2. This clinical rotation will be either at the Birmingham VAMC Safe Harbor Unit or the UAB Palliative and Comfort Care Unit. Please review your schedule to see which Unit you will be working in the week before the rotation begins.
  3. You are expected to attend the Daily Discussion Sessions from 8:00-9:00 AM (In lieu of the ambulatory morning report). You will attend your scheduled continuity clinics and other noon conferences as required.
  4. You will be scheduled for two-half days to make home visits, preferably once with a physician and a second with a nurse, social worker or pastoral care provider.
  5. Clinical Activities
    1. Pre-round on assigned patients in the in-patient unit at assigned facility and prepare daily notes.
    2. Participate in rounds with the attending and Palliative Medicine Team.
    3. Attend and participate in the Interdisciplinary Team Meeting.
    4. In-patient and out-patient consults will be assigned by the Palliative Medicine Team to be reviewed and evaluated and then presented on rounds.
    5. The clinical activities will occur M-F 8am-5pm as patient care will allow. Residents are not responsible for call at night or on the weekends.
    6. Case based teaching and readings will be directed by the cases presenting to the service.

Didactic

  1. All residents (and students) on the Palliative Care/Nutrition rotation will meet every morning throughout the month from 8:00-9:00 AM in the VA Safe Harbor conference room for Daily Discussion Sessions.
  2. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Palliative Care attending and/or fellow will facilitate the Palliative Care Discussion Sessions.
  3. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the Nutrition attending and/or fellow will conduct teaching sessions.
  4. Palliative Care and Nutrition will alternate teaching on Fridays. Nutrition will have conference the first and third Fridays and Palliative Care the second and fourth Fridays each month. Please review the calendar and read/review the materials assigned for the session before the discussion.The following Discussion Questions will be used for the articles reviewed in the Palliative Care Discussion Sessions:
    1. What was new, surprising or interesting in the reading?
    2. What issues need to be discussed to bring further clarity?
    3. How will you incorporate this new knowledge into your daily practice?
  5. During the 2-week clinical rotation, work with your attending to choose 10 topics from the didactics list to review articles and discuss. This may be less formal, may relate to cases being seen or areas of particular interest to you.
  6. During the month rotation, you will be expected to review 20 topics related to Palliative Medicine, read the assigned Daily Discussion Session articles and discuss with Palliative Medicine attending. Please review the attached list of topics and references: 10 will be assigned and reviewed during the Daily Discussion Sessions and 10 will be elective.
  7. Research and select one article during the month to present to the Palliative Medicine Team. This article can be added to our article collection.

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