Our curriculum is designed to immerse fellows in a variety of settings, from acute care, inpatient hospice, ambulatory care, telemedicine, and hospice home care. Rotations are divided into 2-to-4-week blocks
Rotation Schedule
| 1 week | Orientation and Communication Skills Workshop |
| 8 weeks | VA Inpatient Palliative Consult Team |
| 12 weeks | VA Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Unit/LTC |
| 8 weeks | Vitas Healthcare Home Hospice |
| 2 weeks | Vitas Healthcare Pediatrics Hospice |
| 2 weeks | VA Interventional Pain Management |
| 4 weeks | Vitas Healthcare Inpatient Hospice Unit |
| 10 weeks | Osceola Inpatient Palliative Consult Team |
| 4 weeks | Electives |
| Weekly | Continuity Outpatient Palliative Clinic |
Our fellows are offered a unique opportunity for continuity outpatient clinic experience throughout the year at the Orlando VA. In this capacity, they have the privilege of overseeing their own panel of patients, fostering a sense of ownership and connection in their care journey.
Our fellows are allocated one month for elective rotations, split into two-week terms. The elective opportunities offered are: Geriatric Medicine, Radiation Oncology, Oncology, Hospice Medical Director, and Outpatient Nephrology.
Didactics
Protected academic afternoons occur weekly and additional teaching sessions occur at each rotation.
Educational sessions are crafted by faculty skilled in teaching. The learning methods encompass lectures, workshops, group discussions and self-directed learning. The didactics comprise of hospice and palliative care topics, ethics, communication skills, teaching skills, evidence-based medicine, quality improvement projects, and research methodology. These sessions cover all the major domains of knowledge and expertise required for hospice and palliative medicine physicians.
Nurturing Safety, Well-Being, and Diversity
We are devoted to fostering an environment that not only supports fellows’ professional growth but also nurtures their personal wellness.
We recognize that HPM fellows are at increased risk for burnout and depression. Self-care is an important component of professionalism. Our curriculum offers numerous opportunities to acquire skills in bolstering resiliency building and coping with stress, including a comprehensive well-being policy that grants access to mental health resources.
Our interprofessional teams display a richness in diversity that is reflective of the growing Central Florida community. We feel strongly that diversity is critical to creating an environment of truly collaborative learning and teamwork. We strongly oppose racism, sexism, homophobia and any kind of bigotry. We aim to create an inclusive and diverse workplace that fosters a culture were all faculty, staff and trainees are highly valued, supported and celebrated.
Interprofessional Collaboration
Effective hospice and palliative medicine relies on interprofessional collaboration.
Our fellows engage with interprofessional teams in every setting, acquiring expertise in proficient communication and patient and family-centered care planning.
Scholarly Activity
We are committed to training outstanding physicians in an academic, innovative, collegial environment that fosters the spirit of lifelong learning.
Our program offers a wealth of opportunities for scholarly engagement, including M&M, journal clubs, grand rounds, inter-disciplinary conferences, QI projects, teaching workshops to medical students and residents, presentations, publications and more.
Our fellows are mentored to develop at least one scholarly project and to submit it for presentation at the Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).
Quality Improvement
Our program strongly emphasizes Quality Improvement and patient safety across all rotations.
Throughout the year, fellows complete at least one quality improvement project, with faculty mentorship.